us also yea for all 2. Now for the Advice it selfe and here to make use of the aforesaid distribution wee have 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The subject of the advice the unity of the Spirit concerning this two things deserve enquiry 1. What is unity in generall and what it is in this place The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unity notes the joyning together of more things though divers yea though contrary into one as the joyning together of severall bricks or hewen stones or peeces of timber to make one house the putting together of a body propagated from parents and a soule immediatly created of God to become one man the making of Iewes and Gentiles one new man who had beene before of such different dispositions and religions and between whom in that respect there had been such enmity In all these there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unity The unity here spoken of is that of which wee reade under the notion of gathering together into one all things Ephes 1.10 Ephes 2.14 15 16. both in heaven and in earth and of making both Iewes and Gentiles one new man one body one Corporation Verse 19. Verse 21 22. one family one house even one Temple having one head one Lord one King one foundation and corner-stone even Christ who is all in all This unity then is no other then unitas Ecclesiae the unity of the Church as Zanchy saies well Zanch. in locum the conjunction and agreement of the body of Christ the Church composed and made up of diuers people and men coupled and combined under one head Christ be they Iews or Gentiles And this is by S. Bernard Bern. de consid ad Eugen l. 5. c. 8. reckoning up sundry sorts of unity called Vnitas consentanea cum per charitatem multorum hominum est cor unum An unity of consent when by charity passing mutually between divers men they are as if they had all but one heart among them all 2. But why is this unity of the Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unity of the Spirit Here Interpreters differ Some by spirit understand the soule of man and so will have this unity of the Church to be called the unity of the spirit ratione subjecti in relation to the subject of it because the soule not the body is the subject of this unity divers bodies one soule and heart in all Acts 4.32 as S. Luke speaks the bodies of men dispersed far and neare their soules firmely knit together into one so saies Estius Vnitatem spiritus the unity of the spirit Estius in locum that is saies he animorum inter vos conjunctionem the conjunction of your minds among your selves And Mariana thus layes downe the scope of the Apostle in this place Mariana in locum Non vult Apostolus suos animis opinionibus dissentire sed ut idem sapiant The Apostle saies he would not have his Ephesians to dissent in mind and opinion but all to mind the same thing To these learned Calvin assents Calv. in locum Vnitatem spiritus quidam pro spiritali accipiunt quam in nobis efficit Spiritus Dei Some saies he by the unity of the spirit understand here spirits unity which the Spirit of God works in us hee addes certè is solus est qui nos reddit unanimes and indeed it s he alone that makes us to be of one mind but yet he addes Sed ego simpliciùs interpretor de animorum concordia But I saies he doe rather understand it simply of the concord of our minds And indeed hee knowes nothing that knowes not the soule of man to be frequently in holy Writ called the spirit Eccles 12.7 Num. 27.16 The spirit goes to God that gave it saies the Wise man so Moses cals God The God of the spirits of all flesh and the Apostle cals him The Father of spirits Heb. 12 9. Yet others by the spirit understand the holy Ghost the third Person of the ever and equally glorious Trinity who is also in Scripture not seldome called the Spirit without his attribute holy or any other as by our Saviour particularly Ioh. 3.8 Matt. 4.1 So is every one saies he that is born of the Spirit and so S. Matthew speaks Then was Iesus led by the Spirit into the wildernesse c. and thus they will have this unity of the Church called the unity of the Spirit ratione efficientis with respect to the efficient of it namely because the holy Ghost is the Author of this unity Beza in locum Vnitatem Spiritus .i. cujus vinculum sanctus Spiritus est the unity of the spirit that is that unity whereof the holy Ghost is the bond Zanch. in locum saies Beza Vnitatem spiritus quia per sanctum Spiritum fit the unity of the spirit so called because it is caused by the holy Ghost saies Zanchy But these interpretations are not so crosse each to other but that they may well enough consist and stand together as Musculus saies well Musc in locum Anselm in locum and so Saint Anselme having first expounded it Vnitatem spiritus .i. unanimitatem voluntatis ut sit in vobis cor unum anima una The unity of the spirit that is unanimity of will so that there bee in you one heart and one soule doth afterwards adde the other exposition Soliciti servare c. id est solicite servetis quod à vobis non habetis scilicet unitatem id est quod vos estis facti unum quia unitas illa est spiritus id est a Spiritu sancto vobis concessa ideo non est negligenda sed studiose retinenda Endeavouring to keepe c. that is carefully keepe that which you have not of your selves namely unity whereby yee are all made one because this is the unity of the spirit granted to you by the Holy Ghost and therefore it is not to bee sleighted but studiously to bee retained And so this unity of the Church is in two respects called the unity of the spirit 1. For that it is not bodily but a spirituall unity there is not corporalis contactus a bodily touching one of another not the bodies of Christians united into one but their hearts and soules Acts 4.32 as appeares from the fore-named passage of S. Luke 2. For that it is the holy Ghost that is the Author of this unity as the soule and body are united together by the spirits the wasting of which causeth death in the separation of soule and body asunder so by the operation of the Holy Ghost working in us brotherly-love each to other Christ hath coupled all his Elect Iewes and Gentiles into one body in Christ and betweene themselves and this is that which the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all by one Spirit baptized into one body 2. The thing required with respect
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its manifest that hee requires of us an earnest diligent and industrious endeavour for the preservation of this unity and so the word is at all hands rendred solicitè servantes solicitously keeping saies Saint Ambrose soliciti servare solicitous to keepe it sayes Saint Hierome satagitè servare make it your businesse to keepe it sayes the Syriack Translator So S. Anselme Vnitas illa spiritus non est negligenda sed studiosè retinenda This unity of the Spirit is not sleightly but studiously to be kept and maintained So that it is as if the Apostle had said Labour to preserve this unity tooth and naile doe your utmost diligence tanquam pro aris foris as if it were for your life and livelihood and religion and all 3. The course prescribed for the preservation of this unity The Apostle had said Endeavour to keepe the unity of the Spirit they might now say But what course shall wee take that we may preserve it The Apostle staies not till they should ask him this question he prevents and anticipates them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the bond of peace he doth as it were with one breath tell them what they should do and how they may effect it But what is this In the bond of peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in for by In the bond of peace that is by the bond of peace By the bond of peace that is by peace as by a bond so Estius Estius in locum In vinculo pacis i. e. pace tanquam vinculo quodam animos vestros colligante In the bond of peace that is peace as a certaine bond knitting your hearts together So Saint Anselme In vinculo pacis Ansel in locum i. e. pax concordia exterior sit quasi nexus vinculum interioris unitatis spiritus In the bond of peace that is outward peace and concord may serve as a tye and bond of the inward unity of the spirit And a little after having said Vnitas spiritus est studiosè retinenda The unity of the spirit is studiously to be kept he addes Quam poteritis hoc modo servare viz. in vinculo pacis i. e. ut pax taliter inter vos habita vinciat vos insimul conglutinet which unity of the spirit ye may thus be able to keepe namely in the bond of peace that is if peace thus had among you tye you in and glew you together And so our blessed Apostle contents not himself to teach them and us in them how to keep and maintaine this unitie but also by way of illustration he sets forth the nature and usefulnesse of peace by a similitude fit for the purpose comparing peace to a bond by which divers things being put together are held together and kept from falling asunder Take a fagot and keep the band of it firme and uncut the fagot remaines firme cut or burne the band asunder and all the sticks fall each from other of such nature and usefulnesse is peace live we peaceably and quietly together and the unitie of the Church is preserved and maintained give we way to schisme and contention and the whole is dissolved And this office of peace is excellently set forth by the Greeke word for peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as by some it hath its notation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dico to speake because in time of warre silent leges lites dirimuntur non verbis sed gladiis the laws are silent and differences are composed not with words but with the sword but in time of peace controversies are peaceably ended by laws and by pleading so by others it hath its rise from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necto to knit together quia connectit dissidentes in unum because it linkes together parties jarring So that the summe of all is this that Saint Paul exhorts us by all possible meanes and with all possible diligence to endeavor for peace one with another by it as by a bond to keepe the unity of the Church and not by schismes and contentions to violate it 2 Now to prove and demonstrate the truth of the point that it is our dutie so to do 1 For the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though it were in no other place of Scripture given in charge yet this one testimony might well suffice Saint Paul giving this charge not as an ordinarie man guided by a private spirit but as the Pen-man of the holy Ghost and immediately guided by that Spirit of truth and wisedome who is not lyable to errour and mistakes in the advice which he gives so that it is not so much Saint Paul as the great God by him that gives this in charge so that to any that shall in this point refuse to yeeld obedience we may well speake in the words of the Apostle 1. Thes 4.8 He that despiseth despiseth not man but God as if any man shall refuse to obey a charge brought him from the King and delivered in the Kings name by any messenger though never so meane he despiseth not the messenger but the King himselfe from whom and in whose name it is delivered to him But yet to put all out of question behold how as in other particulars so in this both testaments agree breathing forth the same truth In the old Testament heare we David Psal 34.14 Seeke peace and pursue it seeke it as the man his stray sheepe Luk. 15.4.8 as the woman her lost groat pursue it as the Huntsman his game heare the Prophet Zach 8.19 love the truth and peace In the new Testament heare we first our blessed Saviour the King Counsellour and Prophet of his Church concerning whom the charge was given from heaven at his transfiguration Mat. 17.5 This is my beloved Sonne heare him and concerning whom Moses brings in God speaking in so dreadfull a tone so long before Deut. 18.19 Whosoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speake in my name I will require it of him and what is more expresse then the charge which he gave his Disciples Have salt in your selves Mar. 9.50 and have peace one with another Next heare we Saint Paul with whom nothing is more familiar nor he more frequent in any thing then in charges of this kinde If it be possible Rom. 12.18 and as much as lyes in you have peace with all men And Let us follow after the things that make for peace Rom 14 19. Yea where he saw this counsell most necessarie see how earnest he is I beseech you 1. Cor. 1.10 brethren in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that there be no divisions among you but be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement see his earnestnesse in delivering this charge I beseech you I that am the Apostle of the Gentiles beseech you Gentiles I might command you in a businesse
that Christ dwels in us Vbi pax ibi Christus quia Christus pax Ambr. tom 3. Epist 82. saith Saint Ambrose where peace is there Christ is because Christ is peace Hence we may also conclude that the holy Ghost is given to us as the earnest of our inheritance and consequently that we shall have the inheritance it selfe at last for among the fruits of the spirit this is reckoned by the Apostle for one peace and the contrarie variance Gal. 5.22 Gal. 5.20 strife seditions among the works of the flesh Aug. tom 9. in Jean Euang tract 6. And to this purpose Saint Austin tells us Oportere sanctum Spiritum per columbam demonstrari ut intelligat unusquisque si habeat sanctum Spiritum se habere debere cum fratribus veram pacem That it was requisite that the holy Ghost should appeare in the likenesse of a Dove that every man may understand that if he have the holy Ghost he ought to have true peace with the brethren Yea hence we may conclude that God is and will be with us and then what good can we want enjoying him that is the fountaine of all good And of this the holy Apostle gives us assurance Be of one minde 2 Cor. 13.11 live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you But if we give our selves to live in contention and discord woe be to us we are strangers from Christ and have no interest in him we are voyd of the Spirit of God Saint Iude joynes these together These are they that separate themselves Iude 19. sensuall not having the Spirit of God Nay they are such as walk after the flesh and are carnall 1. Cor. 3.3 while there be divisions among you are ye not earnall saith the Apostle And thus wallowing in the works of the flesh among which are reckoned contentions and divisions we must be content to take that which follows that they which do such things Gal. 5 21. shall not inherit the kingdome of God And not onely being factiously disposed and addicted to contention we can have no hope that the God of peace should be with us but also since as Solomon saith Onely by pride men make contentions Prov. 13.10 in respect of which every contentious person is also a proud person and since as Saint Peter saith 1. Pet. 5.5 God resists the proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sets himselfe in battell array against him we may well conclude that God will be surely against us and then what safetie can we expect Iam. 3.14 to the end And heare we what Saint Iames saith If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lye not against the truth This wisedome descends not from above but is carnall sensuall divellish for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evill worke but the wisedome that is from above is first pure then peaceable c. And the fruit of righteousnesse is sowne in peace of them that love peace By which it is manifest that our study to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace may certainly assure us that the wisedome which we have is not carnall sensuall divellish but from God from above and tends to God and to heaven and that the fruit of righteousnesse holinesse here and eternall life hereafter is sowne that is prepared for us and shall be reaped and enjoyed by us and what shall comfort us if not this whereas contrariwise he that lives in contention and strife though he may brag of his Christianity or otherwise boast of his wisedome yet in so doing he glories falsly and lyes against the truth Ambr. tom 4. de Abr. l. 2. c. 6. That of Saint Ambrose being most true of this heavenly wisedome Sapienti pacis est studium imprudenti amicajurgia The wise man studies peace the foole loves brangles As we would then provide for our comfort it mainly concernes us according to this Apostolicall injunction to study unity and peace 2 This study to maintain peace will be availeable to make us fit to serve God acceptably in the duties of his worship now we shall be fit to pray with assurance to be heard and accepted for this is required at our hands by the Apostle to lift up pure hands without wrath Tim. 2.8 and to such prayer assurance is given of speeding If too of you sayes our Saviour Matth. 18.19 shall agree on earth as touching any thing which they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven Agreeable to which is that of Saint Cyprian Quic quid simul petitur à cunctis Cypr. epist 57. ad Cornel. in exilio Deus pacis pacificis exhibet Whatsoever is with an unanimous consent prayed for by all the God of peace grants it to those that are peaceably disposed Now we shall be fit to heare the word of God acceptably and profitably for this is also required of us in this respect to lay aside all superfluity of maliciousnesse Iam. 1.21 and so to receive with meeknesse that engrafted word that is able to save our soules Now no lesse shall we be fit to come with comfort to the holy Communion If thou bringest Math. 5 23.24 sayes our Saviour thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave thy gift before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift But without this peaceable disposition nothing that thou canst doe can bee of any acceptance with God An unblameable life will not stand thee in stead while thou rendest thy selfe from the unity of the Church Quisquis ab Ecclesiâ Cathelicâ fuerit separatus sayes Saint Austin Aug. Epist 15â— ad popil fâ—â—tion 〈◊〉 Quantumlibet laudabiliter vivere se existimet hoc solâ— scelere quod ab unitate Christi disjunctus est non habebit vitam sed irâ— Dei manet super eum Whosoever makes a rent from the Catholike Church how commendably soever he may seeme to himselfe to live for this very wickednesse alone that hee is disjoynted from the unity of Christ he shall not have life but the wrath of God abides upon him The use of the Sacraments will be of no advantage to thee while thou venturest to breake the unity of the Church Aug. tom 10. 〈◊〉 Dom. 〈◊〉 11. Corporalia Sacramenta sayes the same Father Quae portant etiam ab Ecclesia segregati formam possunt exhibere pietatis virtus autem pietatis invisibilis ita in eis non potest esse sicut sensus non sequitur hominis membrum à corpore amputatum Those bodily Sacraments which men separating from the Church doe receive may yeeld a forme of godlinesse but the invisible power of godlinesse can be no more in them then sense can be in the member that is cut off from
not either take or give offence And thereunto S. Austin addes of his own Quia contingit ut una Ecclesia habeat alios Sabbato jejunantes alios prandentes mos eorum mihi sequendus videtur quibus corum populorum congregatio regenda commissa est Quare si meo consilio acquiescis Episcopo tuo in hac re noli resistere quod facit ipse sine ullo scrupulo sectare Because it so falls out that in one and the same Church some may fast on Saturdayes and others dine the custome of those seems to me to be followed to whom the government of the Church is committed If therefore you rest in my advice resist not thy Bishop in this thing and what he doth follow thou without scruple The observation of this rule and care to walk according to it would not a little tend to the preservation of the peace and unity of the Church 7 Shut out tale-bearers if we would shun private breaches there is a generation of men that go up and down from one to another carrying the devils pack like Pedlers seeking to curry favour with all sides these are mischievous persons A whisperer Prov. 16.28 saith Solomon separates chiefe friends If therefore we desire to maintaine peace let us walk by Solomons rule Prov. 25.23 As the North winde drives away raine so doth the angry countenance the backbiting tongue And the issue we shall finde according to that other adage of his Prov. 26.20 Where no wood is the fire goes out and where no tale-bearer is strife ceases And for the preventing of publick breaches hearken to the counsell of Saint Paul Mark them that cause divisions and avoid them Rom. 16.17 There is a brood of ill-minded men who care not what they say or write whereby to worke in men an ill opinion of the Church wherein they live though never so apparantly false and that they may the more easily insinuate and winde themselves into the mindes of well-meaning people they will make a faire pretence of zeale for the good of the Church as if all that they did were altogether for the preservation of the truth of Doctrine and the purity of Gods worship when God knows it is if not onely at least especially for their owne advantage to raise themselves a name by defaming of others whose preferment they envy such as these the Apostle would have us to marke and avoid and according to this is the advice of Saint Cyprian that famous Bishop of Carthage Admoneo pariter consulo saith he Câ—pr Epist 40 〈◊〉 plebem de quinque Presbyter Schismaticis factionis foelicissimi ne perniciosis vocibus temerè credatis ne fallacibus verbis consensum facilè commodetis ne pro luce tenebras pro die noctem venenum pro remedio mortem pro vita sumatis nec aet as vos corum nec authoritas fallat c. I admonish and counsell you that ye do not rashly beleeve pernicious words nor hand over head give assent to deceitfull speeches lest ye take darknesse for light night for day poyson for remedie and death for life Let neither their age nor authoritie deceive you c. Let this be our care and we shall be well shielded against Schisme and division and enabled to maintaine unity and to live in peace and so the God of love and peace shall be with us To which God Father Sonne and holy Ghost be rendred of us and the whole Church all honour and glory praise and power might and majestie from this time forth and for evermore Amen FINIS Errata PAge 3. line 24. for Apostles reade Apostle p 6 l 3 for spirits r spirituall p 20 l 9 for dissentio r dissensio p 28 l 4 for slaughter r laughter p 37 l 2â— for iniunction r iniunction p 49 l 7 for pretend r did pretend p 51 l 3 for defraudeiur r defraudetur l 19 for Diaboli sed pax Dei r Diaboli sed pax Dei p 52. l 23 for Saint Bernard Hic et r Saint Bernard hic et p 53 l 30 for Thus as Tertullian testifies Valentinus hunting r Thus as Tertullian testifies Valentinus hunting c. p 57. l. 27 for God The other c. r. God the other