very same Epistle he commends them all for taking heed to the words of Prophecy of the Old Testament in which there were some things as hard to be sure as any are in St Paul's Writings and I hope St. Peter was as wise a Man in this point as any that have come after him And now I beseech you let us not say That we are Believers already and therefore we need not trouble our selves with constant reading of the Bible Were not they so to whom St. Peter wrote Nay the Apostles were then alive to instruct them by Word as well as by Writing and moreover daily Miracles were wrought for confirmation of the Faith yet they did well in taking diligent heed to the Scriptures and shall not we do so too who can find Apostles and Miracles no where but there We believe already but have we all of us that stedfast Faith which the Gospel requires which is not grounded meerly upon Education and the Custom of our Country but upon the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power Have we that Faith which will bear examination and encounter opposition If we have a very little Exhortation will serve the turn to make us persevere in reading God's Book whereby we shall be yet more strongly built up in our most holy Faith But if not our want of Faith will not be admitted at the last Day for an excuse of the badness of our Lives when we had the Scriptures laid before us the Holy Scriptures I say which if they had been diligently and honestly read by us would have furnished us with such an immovable ground of our Christian Belief as would have supported us in the Day of Temptation Nay if our Faith was grown never so strong yet the reading of the Scriptures would be necessary for us to make the Precepts and Rules of the Christian Life and the Motives and Reasons of practising them daily present in our Minds For the Temptations to sin are always present the Snares of Hell are still round about us we are ever in some danger and therefore we ought always to be strong in the Lord by having a constant sense of those Divine Truths upon our Minds which are our great defence and security And I see not how this can be if we neglect to have recourse unto that ever necessary Treasure of Divine Truth the Holy Word of God St. Chrysistom therefore doubted not to say and I wish we may all well consider that earnest saying of so wise and holy a Man as he was It cannot be says he It cannot possibly be that a Man should attain Salvation unless he be diligently conversant in Spiritual Reading Himself was so excellent and constant a Preacher that if any one Man not extraordinarily inspired could have made it needless for his Hearers to read the Scriptures at home he I should reckon was the Man and yet I observe he often complains to them that the reason why most of them gained little profit by what he said either as to improvement of Knowledge or good Practice was because they did not read the Scriptures he explained to them either before or after his Sermons And says he it is the neglect of this Reading that causeth all Heresie and corrupt Life Now I beseech you how much time do we spend in other things of little concern to us either as to our Health or Wealth or our wordly Callings And what a shame and a sin is it for us to find so little time as generally we do to furnish our selves with the knowledge of God's Truth and with pious Affections towards the doing of his Will out of God's Holy Book What a great matter were it if we borrowed some time for this purpose from our Recreations or even from our ordinary Business For what is this Life to Life Everlasting What is the Wealth and Pleasure of this World to our Salvation in the World to come And therefore the forementioned excellent Person argued with his Hearers in this manner Perhaps some may say That they are otherwise employed in their worldly Callings and others that they have not Money to spare to buy the Scriptures but says he what a ridiculous thing would it be for a Man of a Secular Employment to neglect it upon pretence that he has not time for it or that he has not wherewithal to purchase the necessary Tools of his Calling These things are seldom or never pleaded but by idle Persons And do you not all know that you are professed Christians and called to the hope of Eternal Life and that diligent reading and hearing the Holy Scriptures is as necessary to your Christian Calling as any thing can be to the successful management of your Secular Professions I shall add this one thing That besides that improvement in Knowledge and Vertue which is naturally consequent upon much conversing with God's Book they that do so have a peculiar Title to GOD's supernatural Blessing who is wont to reward a Pious and Reverend Use of Holy Things with greater Measures of his Grace In one word by other studies we may grow wise for this World but if we add this to the rest we shall yet grow wiser for this World by taking heed to those incomparable Instructions that the Holy Bible abounds with and which is something more we shall grow wise unto Salvation The Tenth Sermon 1 COR. XII 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit AFter the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles there was a continual Communication of Supernatural and extraordinary Gifts to other Believers for a long time To one was given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom To another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit To another Faith by the same Spirit To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit To another working of Miracles To another Discerning of Spirits To another Divers kinds of Tongues To another the Interpretation of Tongues But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will And this manifestation of the Spirit was given to every man to profit withal i. e. to profit the whole Body whereof himself was a Member For though that one Spirit which distributed his wonderful gifts amongst the Faithful could have given them all to the same Man so as that one and the same Person should have had the Word of Wisdom and the Gifts of Healing and the working of Miracles and a Prophetick Power and discerning of Spirits and divers kinds of Tongues yet to maintain a mutual dependance and a charitable serviceableness of the Members one amongst another he gave to one one Gift to another another dividing severally to every Man for by this means one would stand in need of another and each Member would be obliged to take care of the rest
the Holy Spirit in Answer to Dr. O. 1677. Octavo A Second Part. 1680. A Reply to a Pamphlet called The Mischief of Impositions Writ by Mr. A. against the Dean of St. Pauls 1681. Quarto An Answer to the Dissenters Objections against the Common-Prayer 1683. Quarto The Difference of the Case between the Separation of Protestants from the Church of Rome and the Separation of Dissenters from the Church of England 1683. Quarto A Discourse concerning the Invocation of the B. Virgin and the Saints 1686. Quarto A Paraphrase with Notes on the Sixth Chapter of St. John against Transubstantiation 1686. Quarto A Discourse concerning the pretended Sacrament of Extream Unction With a Letter to the Vindicator of the Bishop of Condom 1687. Quarto A Second Lettet to the Vindicator of the Bishop of Condom 1687. Quarto A View of the whole Controversy between the Representer and the Answerer in which are laid open some of the Methods by which Protestants are Misrepresented by Papists 1687. Quarto An Answer to the Representer's Reflections upon the state and view of the Controversy c. Shewing that the Vindicator has utterly ruined the new Design of Expounding and Representing Popery 1688. Quarto Queries concerning the English Reformation answered 1688. Quarto The School of the Eucharist a Translation the Preface writ by Dr. Clagett Of the Humanity and Charity of Christians A Sermon preached at the Suffolk Feast in St. Michael Cornhil London Nov. 30. 1686. Card. Bellarmine 's Seventh Note of the Union of the Members among themselves and with the Head His Twelfth Note of the Light of Prophesy Examined and Confuted Both by Dr. Clagett Published since Dr. Clagett 's Death Two Volumes of Sermons with his Paraphrase on the 1st 2d 3d. 4th 5th 7th and 8th Chapters of St. John in Octavo J. S. The CONTENTS SERMON I. Rev. II. 12 13 14 15 16. AND to the Angel of the church in Pergamos write These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is and thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain amongst you where Satan dwelleth But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the Children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth SERMON II and III. Matth. XVIII 7. Wo unto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences come but wo unto that man by whom the offence cometh SERMON IV. Matth. XXVI 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak SERMON V. Matth. IV. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve SERMON VI. Gen. XXII 12. Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with-held thy son thine only son from me SERMON VII Matth. XV. 1 2 3. Then came to Jesus Scribes and Pharisees which were at Jerusalem saying Why do thy Disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders for they wash not their hands when they eat bread But he answered and said unto them Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition SERMON VIII 1 Cor. XI 19. For there must be Heresies also amongst you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you SERMON IX 2 Pet. I. 19. We have also a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts SERMON X. 1 Cor. XII 13. For by one spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit SERMON XI Gen. XV. 16. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again for the iniquities of the Amorites is not yet full SERMON XII Luke XIII 5. I tell you Nay but except you repent you shall all likewise perish SERMON XIII Luke XVIII 8. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth The XIV An Assize-Sermon preached at St. Mores in Bury 1678. Levit. XIX 12. Ye shall not swear by my Name falsly The XV. Sermon preached at Windsor before the Princess of Denmark Gen. V. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him SERMON XVI Job XI 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil SERMON XVII Rom. VIII part of 33. and 34. ver It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth The Sum of a Conference on Feb. 21st 1686. between Dr. Clagett and Father Gooden about the Point of Transubstantiation Imprimatur Hen. Maurice Rmo in Christo P. D. Wil. Archiepis Cant. Ã Sacris February 9. 1688. The First Sermon REVEL II. 12 13 14 15 16. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is and thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth THAT the Seven Churches of the Proconsular Asia to which our Lord sent these several Messages by St. John were then in being when he saw this Vision and heard these Words is a matter I think beyond question and therefore there is little reason to question whether in these Messages the then present state of those Churches were described And whether the design of our Lord was likewise to describe the state of the Church from the Days of the Apostles to the end of the world in several intervals thereof as some men think I dare not take upon me to deny Sure I am that in these Epistles to the Seven Churches there are Instructions no less useful for all Ages of the Church than if they were as truly Prophetical as they are Historical and that they were designed not only for the Information of the then present Churches of the Proconsular Asia but for
pursued upon this account if upon no other That it may appear that the Certainty of Offences coming did not arise from any defect or fault of the Blessed Gospel of our Saviour If we consider the harmless and Dove-like Temper of Christianity the Excellency of its Design the Richness of its Promises the Divinity of its Rules and Precepts the Comforts it has in store for all honest Minds and that instead of running cross to the Interests of Mankind either here or hereafter it shews an infallible way to single Persons and to Communities to be happy in this World and to all men to be for ever blessed in the World to come we would rather have expected it should have been fortold That no man in any Age would ever set himself to oppose the design of the Gospel either in whole or in part If likewise we observe what clear and undeniable Testimonies of Divine Revelation God approved and owned it by how highly reasonable the Principles thereof are and how those things which could not be known but by Revelation yet being once revealed do satisfy our Reason and approve themselves to it How evident the design thereof is how plain the Precepts how few the positive Instructions of it are and how significant and profitable they are and how full of Instruction finally How manifest those necessary Doctrines are the belief whereof is necessary to make a man a Christian and what that Mystery of Godliness is which in the Apostles days was confessed and without controversy If we look upon these things and no farther we should rather have expected that the Doctrine of our Saviour should never have been gainsaid never perverted never mingled with Error never have given occasion to wrangling and discord and never have become the matter of nice and angry Dispute but only of an unblamable Faith and Practice The Gospel of Christ is undoubtedly a faithful Saying or Doctrine clearly revealed and standing upon evident Testimonies of Divine Revelation it is also worthy of all acceptation Why then must it needs be that offences come To which I shall give a plain answer in our Saviour's words to Nicodemus That light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Joh. 3.18 and therefore it must needs be that offences should come For the Religion of Christ is not suitable to the Spirit of this World and therefore the World hateth it and therefore no wonder if it hath one way or other always sought to obstruct the Progress and Design of it In a word it is not the defect but the exceeding Excellence and Purity of true Christianity that has given occasion to the World to oppose it to pervert it and to discourage the Profession or Practice of it For it is a Religion too wise and too good for them that have no mind to be wise and good themselves and therefore considering the great corruption of human Nature which God would not over-bear by an irresistible Power but cure by rational means and methods no wonder that Offences have come nay that our Saviour said It must needs be that offences come To argue more particularly 1. The Doctrine of the Gospel is a Doctrine of Manners lays a severe Restraint upon all the unreasonable Lusts of men and makes a great many Liberties unlawful which they are for the most part violently inclined to take And therefore every carnal man while he so continues carries within himself a terrible prejudice a secret Enmity against the Truth as it is in Jesus and his Heart riseth with as much Anger against that Doctrine of God that telleth him it is not lawful for him to pursue his worldly and fleshly desires as he would but to subdue and mortify them as Herod when he took his Brother's Wife expressed against John the Baptist for saying It is not lawful for thee to have her Man's Nature affecteth a lawless Liberty and cannot endure to be confined it is diseased and cannot endure to he healed and it was therefore likely enough that very many would reject the Physician and be angry with those very Remedies that our Heavenly Father has sent The true and sincere Doctrine of Christ my Brethren if it be believed cannot but make us very uneasy and unquiet while we are conscious of Sin and are not willing to be reformed because it reveals to us the Wrath of God against all our unrighteousness and ungodliness it forewarns us of a dreadful Sentence at the last day and of an everlasting Punishment which we are unwilling at the same time to venture in which we are unwilling to part with our sins and to reconcile our selves to God by Repentance And men that are lovers of Pleasures and lovers of Gain cannot easily admit a Doctrine which gives them as much uneasiness and disturbance as if the point of a Sword were always turned toward their very hearts For this reason the Pharisees could not endure the Doctrine of Jesus and this was one reason why the Heathens opposed it and persecuted it and is one reason why Christians have corrupted it by finding out other ways to avoid Damnation than by a lively Faith and true Repentance and effectual Reformation and keeping the Commandments of God It is this that hath made way for satisfactory Commutations Merits of others and the absolute Power of the Keys and all those devices which are good for nothing but to reconcile a wicked Life to the hopes of Heaven and to entangle the plain sense of those Words of Christ He that heareth these sayings and doth them not I will liken him to a foolish man that built his house upon the sand and the winds blew and the rain fell and the floods came and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall thereof that is it suffered an irreparable Ruin 2. If we consider the Doctrine of Christ as it is a Doctrine both of Faith and Manners it is no way framed to serve the ends of ambitious and worldly-minded men or to help them in pursuing those ends by a pretence of Religion and therefore it was not to be expected but in process of time it would be by some or other moulded for that purpose when opportunity should serve Our Saviour taught the World no other Principles of Morality no other Articles of Faith than what were equally for the Interest of all parts of Mankind to believe and follow a common good and an equal benefit was intended in them all For let them prevail without corruption and alteration the Honour and Safety of Sovereign Princes is secured and a quiet and peaceable Life to Subjects Neighbour-Nations shall give strength and confidence instead of creating jealousies to one another the Master shall be better served and the Servant better used the Church by her Doctrine and Spiritual Authority will be a Guard to the State and receive at the same time Protection from it Here was no
design in Christianity to set up any Nation or Party of men in opposition and to the disadvantage of all mankind beside but it plainly aimed at a general good and under its Penalties requires all its Professors to aim at the same too and condemns those who are lovers of themselves in opposition to all others amongst the greatest Offenders And this Religion as Machiavel well observed was not calculated for the inspiring of men with great designs such I suppose as his Caesar Borgia aimed at It was too plain too Philosophical too Innocent and Charitable to raise an ambitious Heat or to serve it And therefore it was very likely in process of time that it should be helped out by other Principles and Doctrines that would bring in the swelling of worldly Pride into the Church as the African Fathers in their Epistle to Celestine called it and advance one part of it to the depressing of all the rest But because true Christianity serves no such design therefore was our Saviour opposed by the Rulers of the Jews his Doctrine did not tend at all that way viz. to make Hierusalem the Mistress of the World and that all should depend upon her it did not minister to their ambitious and worldly Hopes and therefore was not for their turn 3. If we look upon Christianity as a Rule of Worship it will still hold true that Offences must needs come because the Worship it prescribes is a Worship of great simplicity that has but two or three positive Institutions of Divine Authority viz. the two Sacraments and the Invocation of God through the Name and Mediation of his Holy Son Jesus Now this was not likely to be acceptable to the generality of Mankind who love rather a pompous number of Ceremonies and nice Observations than a grave and decent Administration of Worship For the former does amuse the Senses and entertain the Imagination the latter does that but very little in comparison and rather satisfies our Reason But most people are more apt to be affected with things that touch their Fancy than their Judgment And therefore it was hardly to be expected but in time there would grow very great Excesses in this kind as there did even in St. Austin's days who complained of it not a little in his Epistle to Januarius Neither could it be doubted but such Excesses would be accompanied with false Notions of Religion and of the way to please God For whereas the excellent design of our Saviour in appointing so small a number of external Observations leaving the necessary Rules of Decency to be determined by the Church was this to take men off from all pretence of placing the weight of Religion in outward Ceremonies and by their very Worship to instruct them in Piety and Virtue and to shew them that God will not be pleased without those things whereas he did hereby effectually declare That God who is a Spirit would be worshipped in Spirit and in truth that is with the Affections of a pious Heart and the Obedience that is expressed in a good Life The corrupt Nature of man is as averse from this as 't is fond of the other and desires to please God by so easy a Religion as that which runs out into a world of Mysteries and Shews and Observations and seems to save them the labour of subduing their Lusts and Passions and of serving God by a righteous and holy Life And this was one thing that made the Primitive Christians contemptible and odious to the Heathens That they had so few Rites and Ceremonies so plain and simple a Form of Divine Service but one Altar but one Mediator no Tutelar Deities and Patrons no Throngs of Petty Gods but one or two Mysteries and those too plain and instructing without Pomp and Amuzement for such Causes as these they reckoned the Christians little better than Atheists believing that a Religion which made no stately shew to be as good as none at all 'T is true that God himself appointed a Form of Divine Service to the Israelites that consisted of a vast number of Ceremonies But besides this That they were to be the Types to discover the Messias when he should appear there was another End of Divine Providence observable in that Constitution which was this That they having a Stately and Mystical Form of Worship of their own might be less under a Temptation of learning of the Idolatrous Nations round about them whose numerous and gaudy Ceremonies in their Worship would have bewitched the Jews ten times more than they did if they had not been able to vye with them But God by his Prophet said That he gave them statutes that were not good to be sure not the best in themselves but considering the time the best for them For when God sent his Son into the World who was to teach all mankind to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth and to convert the Nations from Idolatry the Scheme of the Mosaic Worship was taken down and the Church was furnished with nothing but Prayers and Praises two Sacraments and one Mediator But by all this it appears that the design of the Gospel in this matter runs counter to the fond and foolish Inclinations of mankind and therefore that Offences were ready to come upon this account also So that considering the Temper and Design of the Gospel it was a Religion too good for a wicked World too wise for a vain and foolish World I mean it was too good and too wise to escape Opposition and all change the World would either try to keep it out or when that was in vain to attempt any longer to square and form it better to its own purposes and inclinations It was upon this account viz. of the design of the Gospel which was exalted above a worldly Spirit that a peculiar Temper was required by our Saviour in order to the embracing of his Doctrine A Spirit of Honesty and Sincerity of Humility and Teachableness love of the Truth willingness to learn patience of Reproof and the like without which dispositions the common Prejudices against Christianity would certainly hinder the Efficacy of those Arguments and Motives by which it was recommended And therefore since God did not intend by an irresistible act upon the minds of men to over-rule them into a compliance with the Gospel it was not to be expected but that it should be first of all greatly opposed as it was and afterwards insincerely handled as it hath been and this although the Doctrine of the Gospel is peculiarly furnished with means to infuse a wise and honest disposition into them that want it For those means are consistent with the liberty of Human Nature and after all men may be the worse and not the better for them Nothing could in its own nature be more fit to awaken men to Consideration and to lead them to Honesty and Wisdom and to conquer all worldly and carnal Prejudices than the
unspotted from this present World and escape the Corruptions that are in the World through Lust let us take these few following Rules along with us 1. Let that which is on all sides acknowledged to be the Word of God be of more power and force with us than all Human Authorities whatsoever which Rule as it is most reasonable so it is a safe Rule upon this account that if it be followed it will secure us from the greatest Offences as those Opinions and Practices are which are evidently contrary to God's Word 2. Let us keep close to the Ancient Creeds which our Church faithfully delivers for no man has yet been so bold as to offer the least doubt against that nay all that we are challenged for is that we do not receive those additions to the Creed which in comparison were but of yesterday These ancient Forms of confessing the Faith shew what Articles of mere Belief were thought by the Primitive Church necessary to be known and held by All And because the Faith was at once delivered to the Saints no more can be necessary now than was then Now if we observe that the Profession of this Faith is sufficient to make a Christian or a Member of the Church we shall be the better guarded against all erroneous Doctrines which are propounded to us by any Party under the notion of necessary Truths For whilst we are sure we profess all that was thought necessary at first we shall be at ease and feel no disturbance in examining what is moreover propounded and determining to receive it if it has Authority from the Scriptures and to reject it if it has none much more if it be contrary thereunto Which Rule I hope you perceive is to take place in judging what you are to believe not in judging whatsoever is to be done for even in the Worship of God there are several things of an indifferent nature for which there is no particular Precept in the Scripture and in which we may be and ought to be concluded by the Custom of our Church and the Will of our Superiors And he cannot miscarry greatly but is in great measure secured from the mischief of Offences who in matters of Faith will be determined by nothing less than Divine Authority and who in matters of external Order which are no way determined by the Authority of the Scriptures is still ready to be concluded by the Authority of Man But then 3. Let us keep our selves always in the proper disposition and preparation to judge and conclude aright for our selves i. e. by Sincerity which consists chiefly in a vehement desire to understand the Truth and to do our duty We must lay our hands upon this That we will be honest and good and then we shall use all good Rules well to be sure we shall not be a whit the more inclined to embrace Doctrines for our Belief or Practice because they make for our worldly and carnal Interests And this goes a great way to enable men to distinguish between Truth and Error Good and Evil. Offences from without would not stumble us if we were not weakned and blinded by the Offence of a vicious Disposition within our selves And therefore our Saviour having given warning against the former in the words of the Text doth in the very next words proceed to direct us how to secure our selves against them and that by preventing the latter Wherefore says he if thy right hand or foot offend thee cut them off And if thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee That is subdue thy dearest Lusts and if there be any one that is harder to part with than the rest and is grown a part of thy self though it cost thee as much pain to divide thy self from it as it would to cut off thine hand or pull out thine eye for that very reason do thou mortify it in the first place For when the World will be full of Offences i. e. Encouragements to Sin and of deceitful Errors if thou also art an Offence to thy self for want of a sincere and honest Heart and purifying thy Mind from worldly and carnal Lusts thou wilt not be able to withstand the Arts and Force of outward Temptations Now the way to gain this Honest Mind is to fix our thoughts stedfastly upon the Life to come which is the means our Saviour directs to the use of in this place too And if thine eye offend thee pluck it out for it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather than to be cast into hell fire Lastly Let all our other care be begun continued and ended in earnest Prayer to God That he would enlighten the eyes of our minds and purify our intentions and lead us in the right way and keep us in it by his Grace For the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much for another but much more for himself and most of all when he asketh the best things when he asketh those things that please God best a Mind purified from worldly Lusts and an Understanding enlightned with the knowledge of the Truth He that doth these things shall never fall The Fourth Sermon MATTH XXVI 41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak IN these words are contained an Exhortation to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation and a Reason upon which the Exhortation is made The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak In the Exhortation we may observe a Direction to the use of Means Watch and pray and then the End why we should do so That we enter not into temptation As to the means watching and praying the use of them both supposes a great concern for the Event For if I am not only to be careful my self but to get all the help I can nay if I am to go to the God of Heaven and Earth for his help and to seek it constantly to be sure as the End I aim at ought not to be in it self trivial so neither ought I to be trivially affected with it A great concern for the End is supposed in the use of such Means as Watchfulness and Prayer But more particularly as to watching That signifies such a care of our selves as supposes danger and that was the case of the Disciples to whom the Exhortation was immediately given Our Saviour was now preparing them for his approaching Passion he would therefore have them consider before-hand what a terrible Temptation it would be to see their own Master forsaken and contemned and almost every body ashamed or afraid to own him he would have them reflect upon their own Infirmities and examine their own Hearts and to consider whether they were likely to hold out against such a Temptation as was coming upon them He would have them furnish their minds with all the Powers of Faith with all the Reasons of
Constancy which they might infer from the Holy Doctrine he had taught them they were now to consider the value of their Souls the vanity of the World the promise of Everlasting Life and whatever they had learnt from Jesus which was proper to confirm them in that good mind they were in at present he would have them to resolve well and to fix their Resolution not upon a sudden heat only not merely upon the general disposition of an honest Mind but upon a deliberate Judgment what they must lose and what they should get by doing as became them Finally he would have them to maintain a constant sense of these things upon their minds that they might not be at a loss and be found unprovided on the sudden All this is implied in watching a Work which the Disciples were bidden more strictly to attend because the Lord had told them that the hour was at hand when a terrible Trial would befal them and therefore upon their neglect to do accordingly he justly upbraided them afterward What could ye not watch with me one hour And all this was to be drawn into consequence for the Instruction of all his Disciples to the end of the World not only upon extraordinary Occasions but in the ordinary course of their Lives that is that we should be possessed with a sense of God and our Duty of the danger we are in by the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil of the fearful consequence of yielding to these Temptations and that we should maintain a lively sense of these things upon our minds by being conversant in the Word of God and by making the main Principles of Religion present to our Minds by a frequent consideration of them This I say is incumbent upon us all since our Saviour thought it needful for all for says he What I say unto you I say to all Watch Mark 13.37 But to Watchfulness our Lord commands us to add Prayer Watch and Pray And Prayer implies these two things 1. A just sense of our own insufficiency That if God be absent from us our Purposes are uncertain our Resolutions wavering and inconstant and our Wills and Affections alterable by every blast of Temptation though we may be provided with very good Reasons of Constancy in doing well God hath not left us merely to depend upon the strength of Arguments and Motives though they are necessary but hath promised moreover the supernatural help of his Grace and we are not to depend merely upon the former but knowing that we need farther assistance we should daily apply our selves to him by Prayer for it 2. It implies not only a consciousness of our inability to do the thing that God requires but moreover a steady belief of and trust in the Grace of God which he hath promised that it is sufficient for us and that he will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him that he who is good to all will be ready to help them especially that call upon him in sincerity and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able Such is the meaning of that part of the Exhortation which concerns the Means Watch and Pray Now 2. The end of Watchfulness and Prayer is That we may not enter into temptation The meaning of which Phrase is plainly this That we may not fall by Temptation not as the words at first hearing seem to import that no Temptation may befal us for as to that Temptation which required the Vigilance and Devotion of our Lord's Disciples at this time he plainly told them it would happen and therefore by entring into Temptation must be meant falling into that sin to which the Temptation is an inducement and so the Exhortation runs as if our Saviour had said You are very confident that you shall do as you ought as if it were one of the easiest things in the world but I tell you beforehand that this Confidence of yours is a dangerous Presumption and you will find your selves deceived when it comes to the Trial if you take no more care than you are now disposed to take I advise you therefore to consider what will happen better than you have done and to call together all those Instructions you have heard from me and make them present to your minds and be so affected with them as to betake your selves to Prayer that being thus armed not with an hasty but a prudent Resolution and with dependance upon God you may overcome the Temptation when it happens This seems to be the natural meaning of the Exhortation Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation I proceed next to explain the Reason which our Saviour adds to enforce the Exhortation The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is week And now I doubt when we hear or read these words we are too apt to interpret them as if Jesus had meant to excuse the sluggishness of his Disciples and had indeed spoken to them in this manner It were well if you would Watch and Pray that you may not fall by Temptation but the truth is though you are willing so to do yet you are not very much to be blamed but in some part to be excused if you do not and that because of the frailty and weakness of Human Nature But I beseech you not to be so fond of this way of expounding these words for it is by no means true nor in the least worthy of our Saviour's Wisdom nor agreeable to the Scope of his Doctrine Let us not think so meanly of our Lord as if he gave his Disciples necessary directions and in the same breath excused them whether they fulfilled his directions or not These words I say do not contain an excuse of their neglect to Watch and Pray but a Reason why they should do both and such a Reason too as left them without all excuse if they failed in either For thus they may be supposed to run Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation for though the Spirit is willing yet the Flesh is weak and so it is absolutely necessary that ye Watch and Pray Which Interpretation as it holds forth a worthy and excellent meaning of it self so it is clearly warranted by the circumstances and scope of the place and by the condition of those persons at present to whom these words were used and by what befel them afterwards And this will be very evident if we examine the meaning of the words by these Rules For then you will see 1. That by a willing spirit we are not to understand a forwardness to Watch and Pray but a present Resolution to overcome Temptations and that a sincere Resolution too such a Resolution as is accompanied with a strong persuasion that we shall do so and that was the case of the Disciples For if we look back in this Chapter we shall find that upon their Master's forewarning them what occasion of Offence they would
meet with that very night St. Peter briskly steps forward in the name of all the rest of the Apostles all agreeing to what he said v. 23. Though all men says he shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Thus the willingness of the Spirit shewed it self that is a forwardness to do all that became him in the hardest Circumstances But our Saviour willing to prove him farther answered v. 34. Verily I say unto thee that this night before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice which was so far from taking down that it rather raised his assurance for he replied v 35. Though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Likewise also said all the disciples There the Spirit shewed it self willing again and which is to be observed they were all at this time heartily disposed to do as they said all but the Traytor Judas for which reason about this time Jesus acknowledged that they were all sincere and honest persons excepting Judas only John 13.10 11. Ye are clean but not all for he knew who should betray him therefore said he Ye are not all clean i. e. Ye are not all honest men but ye are all so but one all but one mean as you say and intend to be as good as your word and do believe that you shall So that if we explain these words The spirit indeed is willing by the condition of the Persons to whom they were spoken and by their present disposition and persuasion as we ought to do the meaning is plainly this as if our Saviour had said I know ye are men of sincere and honest Dispositions and do intend very well and say no more than what you resolve to make good by performance and I see that you believe you shall be as good as your word Now therefore 2. By the weakness of the flesh we are plainly led to understand those Imperfections and Passions which honest men are not wholly free from and which will make Temptations dangerous even to the sincerest persons especially if they trust to a present good disposition of Mind and think that they are not in danger because they are now well resolved The Apostles when our Lord told them beforehand of the Temptation that would happen were conscious to themselves of their own sincerity and were so strongly possessed with an assurance of it that being men hitherto but of little experience they did not apprehend or so much as feel their own weakness because the Temptation which would make them feel it was not present but their Master was aware of those Imperfections and Passions in them which now indeed gave them no disturbance but within a little time would do so that is when the Temptation should be present upon them They did not consider how the Passion of Fear would work when it was once plain that it would be the most dangerous thing in the world to own their Master they were not sufficiently sensible of the uncertainty of human Resolutions under strong inducements to Inconstancy and how very possible it is even for sincere men to be staggered nay and to be overcome by Temptations which they think themselves sufficiently guarded against by their Integrity But our Saviour knew all this and therefore told them of it before-hand and used the consideration of the weakness of the flesh as an Argument to persuade them to Watch and to Pray and not to trust merely to a willing mind or a sincere disposition he produces this Argument I say to make them abate of their confidence and use more diligence that they might be prepared by their own care and by the Grace of God to answer the occasion that was at hand But to confirm this plain Interpretation As the willingness of the spirit or the sincerity of these men expressed it self in their forward undertaking and promising to do as they ought so the weakness of the flesh discovered it self in their failing to perform what they promised whereby they made good the Prediction of our Saviour that they would be all offended because of him that night And what was the reason why the Flesh prevailed against the Spirit Why did these honest Undertakers fail of performance Even because they did not follow their Master's Advice they did not Watch and Pray for had they used this Means they had not failed of the End since Jesus himself directed them to use this Method and therefore we may be sure it would have been sufficient Wherefore you may well conclude that these words The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak were not intended here for an excuse of their not watching and praying but as a reason why they ought to do so and consequently as an aggravation of their fault in not doing it for since there was so much need of Vigilance and Devotion they were the more to blame that they neglected it And thus I have given you as I am persuaded the natural and genuine sense of this place Now there are Two Points of Instruction which I shall from hence commend to your serious thoughts 1. That we look well to it that we be sincere and honest and have that willing Spirit which our Saviour acknowledged and commended to his Apostles 2. That we do not altogether trust to our present sincerity and best purposes but because of the weakness of the Flesh that we watch and pray and thereby guard our selves against all Temptations 1. That we be very well assured of our own sincerity and the honesty of our purposes which for the present any man may be easily assured of if he be sincere that is if he be honestly resolved to do his duty under all circumstances of Temptation for what can a man ever arrive to an assurance of if not of his own present intentions Now the Argument whereby I am to persuade you to look well to this matter is of very great force and it is so plainly offered by the circumstances of this Resolution that there is no avoiding it and it is this That if we are for the present sincerely and honestly disposed we have some Title to the special Grace and Favour of God whereas Hypocrites and Insincere Persons have none at all For this was that for which our Saviour valued his Disciples that they had a willing spirit and as I shall shew more particularly by and by that was the reason why he watched over them why he continually instructed them why he explained things to them why he took care to rectify their mistakes and to correct their faults and to give them all the ways of improvement because they were honest men and ever intended to behave themselves like honest men They were all but Judas men of great plainness and simplicity teachable and willing to be informed of the Truth open and free in their behaviour not addicted to any notorious Vice of a Religious Temper and Disposition and every way fit
me Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. it seems very evident that Divine Worship may be given to that which is not God by one that acknowledges and worships the true God for otherwise I am sure it had not been Idolatry to worship the Devil in these circumstances who did by no means require our Saviour to worship him as the Supreme God or not to worship him who really is so And here I cannot but observe how instructing our Saviour's Answer was for when the Devil tempted him to worship him Jesus might have refused it justly enough upon another score That no Honour was to be given to that Enemy of GOD and Man but when omitting that Consideration he spoke to the Point in this manner It is written Thou shalt worship c. he laid down a Rule to serve his Disciples in all like cases even where they might be called not to worship a Devil but a Saint not a bad Angel but a good one Thou shalt worship c. If it be pretended in the behalf of Saints that they have great power with God in Heaven and of Angels that they are his ministring Spirits and therefore they are to be honoured with Invocations and Bodily Worship by us upon Earth we are to remember that when the Devil pretended to have the Power of the Earth delivered into his hands and promised that upon the desire of Jesus and a little Prostration to him he would give it to him our Lord did not give him that Answer which was peculiar to the particular case as That he was a lying and wicked Spirit and therefore no such acknowledgment was to be paid to him but such an Answer as supposed it Idolatry to pay the same respect to any other created Being Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. But because the Notion of Idolatry was of necessity the same under the Gospel that it was under the Law since without any new Notions of it the Apostles who were Jews preached against Idolatry we cannot go a better way to work to confute this pretence That they who acknowledge one Supreme God cannot be guilty of Idolatry than by observing what was counted Idolatry under the Law 1. Now we read 1 Kings 11. That Solomon in his old Age turned away his heart and worshipped other gods viz. Ashtoreth and Milcom and Chemosh and Molech These were the Idols of the Nations round about the Israelites and all the world knows that the Service of Idols is Idolatry But now did Solomon renounce the God of Heaven and Earth the Supreme Governor of the world the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob So he must have done according to the modern Notion of Idolatry or else he could not be guilty of it But if we may believe plain Scripture so he did not for mark what is said v. 4. His wives turned away his heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of David his father It seems then that his heart was not quite turned away from the Lord his God but it was not perfectly with him and that because he did not worship the Lord his God only but served other gods besides Again v. 5 6. Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and went not fully after the Lord as did David his father Now can that be said of one that utterly renounceth the Belief and Worship of the Supreme Lord that his heart doth not go fully after the Lord These things are so plain that they need no Illustration To be short in the Old Testament these Worships were esteemed and condemned as Idolatry 1. To worship other Beings with the True God which was the case of Solomon now mentioned and of the Samaritans 2 King 17.41 Who feared the Lord and served their graven images their own gods 2. To worship Idols only which seemed to be the case of Ahab and Manasseth who had given over the Service of the God of Israel but yet were not without all sense and apprehension of him but for all that they addicted themselves wholly to the Service of false gods 3. The worshipping of the True God by a material Image or Representation of him such for instance was the Idolatry of the Golden Calf which the Israelites intended for a Representation of that God which had brought them out of the Land of Egypt as it evidently appears from the Proclamation Exod. 32. These are thy gods or this is thy God O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt And Aaron built an altar before it and made a proclamation and said To morrow is a Feast to Jehovah or to the Lord. In vain it is said That the Israelites fell to the Egyptian Idolatry Thus much I am willing to grant That the Israelites missing Moses took that very Representation of the Supreme God which they had seen in Egypt for it is a foolish thing to imagine that the Egyptians themselves were without any sense or apprehension of the Supreme God But that the Israelites fell to downright Egyptian Superstition and copied all that they had learnt in Egypt is undeniably false from this one Argument That the Israelites offered Burnt-offerings and brought Peace-offerings unto the Image they had set up and as Jeroboam did afterwards they offered Bullocks and Rams to the Idol which Beasts being amongst the Egyptians held Sacred were never sacrificed to their Idols and for that very reason God commanded them to be offered to him so that the Israelites in their Sacrificing followed their Rule which they had received from God only but missing Moses they would have a visible Representation of the True God to go along with them and for worshipping it they were called Idolaters and punished as such The Instance of the Calves of Dan and Bethel which Jeroboam did set up the worshipping of which is called Idolatry is to the same purpose for all he pretended was that it was too much for the Israleites to go up to Jerusalem to worship Behold says he thy gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt 1 Kings 22.28 He did not forsake the God of Israel to follow other gods but he set up material Images or Representations of the True God and it was his Idolatry to worship them Hence the Prophets whom God raised up in Israel did not charge the Worshippers of this sort for Deserters of the God of Israel though they inveighed against their Altars But when Ahab fell to worship other gods it was particularly noted of him that he did therein what Jeroboam did not do this latter sort of Idolatry was laid to Ahab's charge 1 Kings 16.13 to wit That as if it had been a small thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat
in those Errors than it hath been and perhaps utterly impossible to maintain them amongst Christians without destroying the Bible out of the World But then by the same reason that such cautions had been necessary a thousand times as many more had been necessary too For so many Additions by way of caution must have been made as there are ways of eluding and perverting a Rule which are so many that to have provided expresly against them all would have made the Bible a more voluminous Book than any is in the World not to say the most odd and uncouth Book that ever was seen For whoever wrote or spoke in that manner as to provide against all possible ways of being mistaken or having his words perverted According to this rate a man must not expect to make an end of a sentence in an hour and when he has done all he can his explications may be perverted too And therefore we are not to wonder if God has not provided express Cautions against all possible Mistakes and Abuses of this nature but thought good to leave a Rule of Faith and Manners and Worship which would be sufficient to guide all honest Persons and lovers of Truth though not sufficient to exclude all Cavil and Abuse For this reason it was that our Saviour did not pretend that all who saw his Works and heard his Doctrines must necessarily believe in him but he required constantly a certain temper of mind consisting of Humility Sincerity love of the Truth and in a word A good and honest Heart in order to a Man's being his true Disciple Common Sense and Reason was not sufficient for this purpose but there must be also a peculiar Probity or teachable Spirit a Mind ready to believe all Truth and to do all Duty These were the Sheep that would hear his voice and the Ground that would receive his Seed and bring forth Fruit Such were the Men that would hear and understand and know of the Doctrine whether it were of God But as for others they would make a shift to reject it with some colour for so doing or to pervert it if they once admitted it This was the first things to be considered the temper and design of the Gospel which delivers Truth that does by no means gratify the Lusts of Men or please their Imaginations or serve the interest of particular persons to the disadvantage of all others and then that this Truth was delivered in that way which though it be apt to instruct and convince all honest Men yet will not infallibly bear down a spirit of Contradiction Now to this we must add 2. The consideration of the general temper of Mankind for whose sake the Gospel was made known viz. that it is very corrupt and exceedingly prone to Sin and therefore to Error impatient of true Virtue and Piety and therefore of true Doctrine Human Nature does affect a lawless Liberty and cannot well bear to be confined and it is so diseased that it doth not take it well to be healed it is therefore no wonder if the Remedy which God hath provided hath been so tampered withal by Men as to make it ineffectual for that purpose for which he hath sent it to us and Doctrines have been taught which give that liberty that Truth denies It was not to be expected but that if the Doctrine of Christianity should not effectually overcome those Lusts that reign in the World those Lusts would corrupt and pervert that Doctrine and bring in Heresies Ambition and Covetousness would bring in Heresies for the establishing of a worldly Power and Dominion in the Name of Christ Licentiousness would bring in Heresies for making void the Commandments of God Pride would bring in Heresies though for nothing else but a Man's satisfaction and glory in drawing many People into a Party and becoming the Head of it and when they were brought in the natural inconstancy and wavering of some would carry them away from the Truth the natural stiffness and inflexibility of others would detain them in Error the very desire and love of Novelty would at first help to bring in some and in process of time the pretence of Antiquity would be every day more and more able to gain others Finally the unwillingness of most Men to take pains in the search of Truth and the greater ease of depending upon the absolute Authority of others would give a farther advantage to Error which fears nothing more than an Examination and therefore discourages all Persons from giving themselves so needless a trouble since they have the word of those for their security who cannot possibly mislead them considering the diseases of Human Nature which the Doctrine of Christ doth not cure miraculously and irresistibly it could not be expected but there would be Factions and Heresies against the Truth If therefore it be thought strange that the Apostle should say there must be Heresies let us consider that this is no more than if he had said after all the care that God hath taken to restore Mankind there will be Pride and Ambition there will be Covetousness and Injustice and the Love of this World there will be Luxury and Licenciousness there will be both Inconstancy and Stiffneckedness there will be Laziness and Slothfulness and Unaptness for Instruction and therefore there must be Heresies for God hath provided no infallible Remedies against Sin and Wickedness and as certainly as the Vices of the World would break out in the Church so certainly would Errors get into it by degrees and usurp the Name and Authority of Truth 'T is true that God if he pleased could absolutely have hindred it by his over-ruling Power But in this saying it is implied that he would not do so and Experience has shewn that he has not done so and we have no reason to wonder at it since he is not pleased to make all Men good by an irresistible Grace and there was less reason to expect that he should make all Men Orthodox by an irresistible Illumination And so I come to the second point Which concerns the reason assigned why God is pleased to permit Heresies That they which are approved may be made manifest i. e. that it may most evidently appear who are sincere and honest and who are not so for opposition to the Truth and the ways that are taken to advance Error do prove what Men are at the bottom and distinguish between those that would appear all alike if the same Truth were equally professed by all The great difference that breaks out is that between the probity of some Men on the one side and the falseness and hypocrisy of others on the other side which appears in these instances 1. In a more diligent search after Truth which is the effect Heresies have upon honest and godly Men while they give occasion to Hypocrites to consider what is most for their ease their safety their advantage in this World whilst the several parties
knowing that he also wanted the supply of that assistance which the rest were able to give him whereas if one Man had all Gifts he would not be under so sensible an obligation of consulting for the common good wanting no assistance from any others But God ordered the State of the Church like that of the Natural Body to which the Apostle elegantly compares the Body of Christ The eye cannot say unto the hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you v. 21. Now it being the Apostles design in this Chapter to press the Christians to Charity and Unity and mutual serviceableness one to another as Members of the same Body he assures them in the Words of the Text which I have chosen That they were indeed Members of one Body and he tells them what it was that made them so For by one spirit says he we are all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles and have been made to drink into one spirit that is by being baptized they were made Members of the Body of Christ and united one to another under him the Head and this whether they were Jews or Gentiles bond or free i. e. whatever worldly circumstances made any distinction between them yet they were one in Christ who professed his Faith and were by Baptism admitted into his Church And this Union of one to another under Christ was testified and declared by their Communion in the Table of the Lord. And whereas he says that by one spirit they were baptized into this one body and were all made to drink into one spirit the meaning is that the Grace of the Holy Spirit was given in Baptism and in the Lord's Supper to all the Faithful who do not receive unprofitable signs but one as well as another receives the quickning Grace of God to make them living Members of that one Body So that although there was a diversity and an inequality in the Spiritual Gifts that were distributed among the Faithful in those days yet they were all equally Members of the same Body of Christ in as much as they were all baptized into his Body and were all equally partakers of his Table And thus I have explained the meaning of the Text with the relation it hath to the design of the Apostle in this Chapter That which remains is to speak to the particular design of the Text which is to shew that Christians are one Body or Society of Men and wherein the Vnity of the Church consists and what our part is to maintain it and how we may in this divided state of Christianity be satisfied that we are within that Unity Before I enter upon which I may well make Two Observations upon the Text in behalf of the Doctrine and Practice of this our Church of England 1. That St. Paul thought the observation of the two Institutions of our Saviour viz. Baptism and the Communion of the Holy Table was a sufficient proof that Believers were one Body And we have reason to believe that if he had known there were other Sacraments or outward badges of Christian profession instituted by Christ for the Church which is his Body he would not have omitted the mention of them here where he proves the Unity of the Church by Baptism and Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ We know that the Evangelists mention no other outward Signs and visible Tokens of our Profession and God's Grace but Baptism and the Lord's Supper And it is something to our purpose that St. Paul owns no more than these where he industriously proves that Christians are one body by these 2. I observe that the Communion of the Lord's Table is described by drinking into one Spirit i. e. by one part of the Sacrament as sometimes it is by the other of breaking of bread But then nothing can be more plain from such expressions than that one part or kind is as necessary as the other because sometimes one sometimes the other is put for both which had been against all Rules of speaking if it had been allowable to separate the one from the other But as to that of drinking the Cup it is most evident that it belonged to all for says St. Paul We have all been made to drink into one Spirit All who All the Priests of the Christian Church only No all that belong to the Body of Christ whether Jews or Gentiles bond or free But now if St. Paul had known that it was not necessary for the Christian People to drink of the Cup in the Communion but that it was sufficient for them to have received the Bread only Can we think that he would have described their receiving the Sacrament by receiving a part of it which did not necessarily belong to them and not rather by that which did I do not make this Observation to prove only that the People did at first universally receive the Cup for that is not denied by any but by those who have disputed themselves out of all Modesty and even these may be convinced beyond all doubt by this very place that all the Faithful in St. Paul's days received the Cup for otherwise how could he with truth have said that they had been all made to drink into one Spirit But that which I chiefly observe is this That though the faithful did in those days drink as well as eat at the Lord's Table yet if the Apostle had known and surely he knew it if it was true that however it was the practice then yet it might without injury be altered in after times he would not have us'd an argument to satisfie the Faithful of his time that they all bolonged to the Body of Christ which might afterwise be quite out of doors viz. when the Church should please to alter the Institution of our Saviour in this matter but he would rather have insisted upon receiving in that kind which could not be justly taken away from them and have said that all had been baptized into the Body of Christ or made Members of his Church by Baptism and all that are of his Body may claim to eat of that one Bread This by the bye I now address my self to the main business I propounded which is to state the notion of the unity of the Church to shew what is meant by it and to make some Inferences from it for our further Instruction And in the first place it is evident that St. Paul here speaks not of any one particular Church but of the Society of all Christians whatsoever that are baptized and have a right to the Holy Communion whether they be Jews or Gentiles And it is concerning the Unity of this Church that we are to enquire or what that is which makes it one Body as the Apostle here calls it To which purpose we are to consider distinctly what are the several Grounds or Notions of Unity which are laid