penes Reges erat sayes the Historian That in the beginning of humane affairs of Countries and Nations the Dominion over them was in the hand of Kings And Plutarch affirms that the first that gave over Regal Power and framed a Popular State was Theseus And he quotes Aristotle as of the same mind And Theseus flourished about the year of the World Two thousand seven hundred and twenty Others date a popular State in Greece from others afterwards But it is certain that all the first writings of the World now extant Homer and others sound only of Kings the rightful Successors it is to be supposed a great many of them of the dispersed heads of families and all of them their partakers in the same kind of Government As to prophane Histories and other writings of the Heathens and the several kinds of causes of the changes and destructions of humane affairs which I have mentioned Hic Supra Sect. 1. and besides what are mentioned in Scripture the wayes by which men have arrived at Government in Countries after desolations made by those causes of destruction or otherwise when without such Calamities there hath hapned a change in their Government are ordinarily assigned in the like manner by those who write of these things Some have supposed men to have come together Ex terra geniti aut servati ex aliqua vastitate being born from the earth or having been sav'd out of some great desolation So Aristotle The like Herodotus Polit. lib. 2. cap. 6. and others recite concerning the Egyptians the fame of their springing from Nile The Ethiopians their being the first men formed by reason of the nearness of the Sun to them And the like is said by Acosta De natura Noâ— Orbis Lib. 1. cap. 25. of the West-Indians and their opinion concerning the original of Mankind and so of other Nations And as to their Arrival at Government some have arrived at it by the pure consent of others subjecting themselves to them voluntarily others by conquest and some one way some another according to the divers circumstances attending their several cases as hath been said The Capital Distinction of Government amongst men Lib. 1. c. 1. Sect. 1. Vid. Interdicti veneti Histor lâ—b 4. V. The first and capital distinction then of Government amongst men is according to the first division of their affairs above mentioned and that is by the two opposite members of Ecclesiastical and Civil in relation to Divine and Humane Affairs It was the summe of the preface to the Venetians Writings publickly countenanc'd against the Pope in the year one thousand six hundred and six Duplex à Deo Opt max in mundo Regimen Justitutum utrumque ab altero independens unum Spirituale Ministerii Ecclesiastici alterum Temporale Magistratûs Politici That there was a twofold Government in the World instituted by God and either of those Governments independent from the other viz. The one Spiritual of the ministry Ecclesiastical and the other Temporal of the Political Magistrate And therefore the reduction of all Laws is to one of these two sorts L. Justitia D. De justit jure either Divine or Humane Juris prudentia sayes Vlpian est Divinarum atque humanarum rerum notitia justi atque injusti scientia That skill in Law is the knowledge of Divine and humane Affairs Poloniae lib. 1. prop. fin the science of what is Just and Vnjust And as Cromerus sayes of the Poles that they are divided universally into the two states of Laicks and Ecclesiasticks so in all other Countries and in all former Ages there hath ever been the like division of men where they have been members of Regular Societies And both these forts of Government are again to be divided by disparates Cap. 1. Sect. 9. either into such in the General or in the Special or in the Individual as is above more generally mention'd The distinctions of consent also given to Government VI. The distinction also of consent given to both these sorts of Governments mentioned is that it is either Pure as in purely voluntrary Associations under one head or mixt as in Associations to which men are principally mov'd by the sence of Convenience or Necessity And both these are again as concurrent causes either to the making and constituting a Government or else to the establishing one already in the possession of Government And both these sorts of consent again are either personal as every one that is sui juris giveth it for himself or else obligatory of others as in Parents obliging their Children by their act of consent And both these yet again are either only tacitly signified as in acquiescence under Government either of the sorts of it but now mention'd or else which men are further oblig'd to by some overt Hic supra §. 5. and apparent Acts as in the case of their partaking more eminently in the benefits of Government of Subscriptions Church and State Oathes given in and taken by them and the like things common amongst men And that men are oblig'd to consent and submit to Government both in the general and in the special or any of the lawful sorts of it and also in the particular or individual it is both from the Law of Nature which dictates such their consent and submission to be yeelded by them and also from the express Divine Law which commands it from God And as it is thus concerning Government in the State so also it is concerning Government in the Church in any Society That men either entring into or else being already in the Society of any Christian Church are oblig'd to consent to the lawful Government of it in these wayes mention'd And they do also farther oblige themselves to consent and submit to it more specially and expressly by their particular Acts of receiving Baptisme in such a Church partaking in Church Priviledges by Subscriptions Church-Oathes and the like And the like is to be said every way concerning the State in it's capacity in relation also to these things in their several respects which they bear to it and as to their obliging men to acquiess under the Government of it And last of all that consent once given in all these sorts and respects of it doth oblige men to yeild their submission and obedience due to Governours and Government by it it is remarkeably evident from the dictate of the Law of Nature For where right accrues necessarily to another as in this case it doth to Government by a mans own voluntary Act That Act being once passed a man cannot reverse or revoke that right due by it again And the obligation induc'd upon men by consent in the general all lawes have ever Asserted and both in the Canon and Civil Law there is no appeale granted from Arbiters chosen by the parties Litigant And the Doctors of both Lawes do constantly adjust the same things Ab arbitris
in the general into Ecclesiastical and Civil we come here to distinguish the Powers more generally belonging to each of those sorts of Government as their Rights both in relation to all Humane Society and also more particularly to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity And the Persons concern'd in those powers differently are the King and Priest who betwixt them rule the world as men in it are members either of the Church or State Duo sunt Parte primâ distinct 96. Rubric Autoritas Sacra c. Imperator Auguste sayes Pope Gelasius in the Decretum to the Emperour quibus Principaliter hic mundus regitur Authoritas Sacra Pontificium Regalis Potestas There are two things O Magnificent Emperour by which this World is Principally governed the sacred Authority of the Chief Bishop and the Kings Power The Christian Church and Civil State are distinct Societies II. The Christian Church and Civil-State are in themselves distinct and different Societies and so they ought to be esteemed to be in every Ecclesiastical Uniformity the one being a Civil and the other a Spiritual Conjunction of men and God who hath appointed them both to have a being and continuance in the World hath also appointed distinct Governours and Governments for them Or else The necessity of difference of Order and Power in Governours if it were not so Government being necessary to Society they could not both subsist and continue apart in the World But it is not only convenient but necessary for the Benefit and well-being of mankind in relation to them both that they should be in a Capacity so to subsist and De facto they have so subsisted III. The difference of Order and Power in Governours is a thing necessary to the being of all Governments of these greater Societies Exod. 18.13 14 15 16 17 c. F. de Excusationibus Tutelarum Temporibus eorum L. Excusantur And that because neither is one man able to execute all offices in such Societies nor can many men so execute them either the same Persons at diverse times or else diverse persons at the same time without a difference and variety in their several Capacities both in respect to order and power according to the different nature and quality of their Affairs belonging necessarily to those Offices Jethro's advice to Moses was to divide the burthen of his Government amongst his deputed officers The distinction of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers flowes from the Divine appointment according to the different qualities of those Affairs about which they are conversant Polit. lib. 4. cap. 15. in princip ibid. vid. History of the Inquisition Chap. 28. because himself alone was not able to bear it And the Roman Civil Law suffered not four Guardianships at once to be laid upon one man And all Humane affairs are necessarily of a more or less eminent quality according to the diverse respects they have to things and Persons in the World IV. The distinction and proper extent of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers and Rights of Government in any Society flowes each of them from the appointment of God according to the distinct nature and quality of the things and affairs in which they have to do and in which it is necessary that they should have to do for the support of their distinct and several Societies Sacerdotes sayes Aristotle Genus sunt quoddam Ministrorum à Civilibus Magistratibus scil ex natura rei restinguendum separandum That Priests are a certain kind of Ministers viz. from the nature of their Office to be distinguished and separated from the Civil Magistrates And God whose works are perfect sayes Padre Paule and who is the Author of all Principalities gives to every one so much Power as is necessary for his governing well And these Powers in all Societies and the Ecclesiastical Uniformity of them act either in Conjunction one with another as when Religion is National and the Church incorporate into the State or else separately one from the other as in the contrary case But yet still the Ecclesiastical power ought to Act so as in subordination to the Civil and according to the will of God And that these Powers are alwayes and more particularly in every Ecclesiastical uniformity to be preserved distinct by the appointment of God and according to the different qualities of their Affairs it is evident from the Universal Consent of all Lawes and Nations that ever have been in the World So in the Polity of the Patriarks and first men in the World The Priestly office and the office of the Civil Magistrate although united in one Person as hath been said were ever reckoned as distinct Supra lib. 1. cap. 3. §. 4. and were conversant about distinct sorts of affairs Sacerdoti functum fuisse Adamum dubium non est tum in recipiendis atque offerendis Sacrificiis c. sayes Bertram De Repub Hebraeor ca. 2. It is no doubt but that Adam did discharge the Priestly Office and that both in his receiving and offering Sacrifices And so of Noah Ibid. Noachus ex Arca egressus ad Pristinos Ritus divini Culius redit eosque apud suos omnes nondum dispersos exercuit That Noah being come out of the Ark return'd to the Ancient Rites of Divine Worship Ibid. and exercis'd them in his Family before it was dispers'd And so of Abraham as Priest also Abrahamum sacrificasse apparet ex Gen. 15.19 and 22.2 7 9 and 13. Abrahamum docuisse apparet ex Gen. 18.19 atque adeo Prophetam fuisse ex Gen. 20.7 Gen. 15.19 c. That Abraham Sacrific'd it appears out of Gen. 15.19 and 22.2 7 9 and 13. And that he taught also it appears out of Gen. 18.19 And that he also was a Prophet out of Gen. 20.7 So that they still as Priests did the work of the Priestly Office So also in the Polity of Israel in the wilderness God himself established and assigned particularly the distinct office and affairs of Moses and Aaron Exod. 40.13 14. Numb 8.1 2 3 4 c. Numb 1.49 Num. 3.15 Numb 1.53 In loc And therefore Aaron and his Sons were annointed solemnly to their office And the Tribe of Levi was not mustered with the other Tribes And they only were to Pitch their Tents about the Tabernacle And the Hebrewes do observe on Numb 3.38 that there is a pause or distinction betwixt the names of Moses and Aaron To signifie sayes Baal Hatturim That Moses pitched in one place by himself and Aaron and his Sons in another place by themselves And so was it also afterwards in Canaan and all along downwards in the Generations of Israel while they held any National Communion in one settled Society The like also was ever amongst the Gentiles So amongst the Greeks they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meursius Elousin cap. 13 Those that prescribed what they were to do
kind of the perpetual Church-officers and also by their appointing the Magistrates to chuse two of the Council to joyne with the two of the Congregation chosen by the Ministers in the ordinary Act of Visitation or supervising of affairs But those who thus mix the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers do practise against the Generality of Presidents of all former Churches and Ages and do so far forth as they thus mix their affairs do that which tends to the confounding of the distinct Societies of Church and State in the World The Ordinary Church-Office of a Bishop or Ecclesiastical Superintendent or Supervisor of affairs with the reference of things sometimes to a Synod hath been ever under Divers Modes and Polities and generally in all kinds of Churches whatsoever made use of and asserted and even in the Mahometan Church at this day they have their Cadii or Ordinary Bishops Vid. Leunclav Pandect Hist Turc cap. Gradus Legis c. Et in Supplement Annal. C. 1576. their Hoggiae or Prebyters and their Talis-mani or Deacons and the like have been also in other Ages and Churches not but that the welfare of the people which is the things certainly meant in the constitution of Lay-Elders and of the Common Society ought alwayes to be provided for and taken a care of in this matter of Church-Government as well as others but that is accordingly secur'd in this particular by the Liberty of Appeals to the Prince who is the supream Supervisor ore all and the powers attributed to the Lay-Elders are in the mean time misplaced in them And if the Consistency of the Ecclesiastical estate with the Civil be alleadged it is also supposed to be provided for by the supervision of the Chief Magistrate The matters to be supervis'd by these Supervisors VII The matters then to be supervis'd in every Ecclesiastical Uniformity are either Ordinary or Extraordinary The Ordinary do use to be comprehended within the Disciplinary constitutions or Canons of any National Church the extraordinary are according to the emergent and temporary Occasions of it and there are some of each of these which are of more moment and some of less in respect to the welfare of the Supreme Publick Charge The care to be taken in the supervising of them VIII And as to that great care also which ought alwayes to be taken about the Supervising of these matters the State both of Persons and Things ought to be taken cognizance of by the Supervisors in their several places Their Eye ought alwayes to be wakeful like that of the Dragon watching over the golden Apples of the Hesperides And last of all the first breakin gs out of any Fire of Contentions or of any other misdemeanours in the Church whatsoever ought to be timely stopped as the breakings out of Fire in the City were to be stopped by the Praefectus Vigilum amongst the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It behoves not a consultor of the Publick Good to sleep all night And Sciendum est autem Praefectum Vigilum per totam noctem vigilare debere D. De offiâ—io Praefecti vigilum L. 3. ¶ Sciendum est oberrare calceatum cum Hamis Dolabris c. sayes Paulus in the Civil Law That it behov'd the Praefectus Vigilum to watch all night and to walk on foot every where about the City with Hooks and Axes c. And Philosophus igitur iracundus volax robustus natura erit qui civitatis Custos optimus est futurus said Plato That he who is a seeker after knowledg and angry upon occasion and active stout by Nature De Rep. Dial. 2. prope fin is likely to be the best keeper of a City IX In order to these ends then and for the due application of their several powers accordingly the Supreme Ecclesiastical Supervisors ought to have the dispensing of Church Censures The Ecclesiastical Tribunals for the exercise of that Care and their Ordinary Tribunals and Consistories or Courts Ecclesiastical at which Causes may be heard and matters according to Truth and Piety may be determined The Sacrum Consistorium is many times mention'd in the Code and Novels of Justinian Vid. C. De Jure jurando propter Calumniam dando Principales personae ¶ Sed si Et alibi And the stated Circuits for Visitation And there are all the same reasons in nature for it in this matter which there are for all other Courts of Judicature in others X. The Ordinary Ecclesiastical Supervisors ought also to have their stated Circuits or Journeyes or Visitation And those whether Deputative or Personal whether more or less frequent according to the several Occasions and Constitutions of Countries And he that Travels in those Circuits is called Visitator aut Circuitor and the like in the Code of Justinian and those Circuits are in like manner common also to all National Churches XI Last of all then De Episcop Cler. L. Omnem adhibentes ¶ 9. Et alibi The last Appeals ought alwayes to be made to the chief Magistrate and in relation to all these matters which have been mentioned The cheif Magistrate in every National Church ought alwayes to retain the Right of receiving the last Appeals concerning them And in this there will be this Right nenessary for his Government done to him and Sanctuary also provided for his people And the Court of Rome then in this matter unjustly demands Appeals to be made out of the Dominions of Princes CHAP. XVI Of the Supreme Interpreter in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity I OF how great moment the Office of Supreme Interpretor is II. The Authentick Interpretors in any National Church distinguish'd And the Supreme Assigned III. The Right of the Supreme in respect to his Interpretorship asserted IV. The Opposers of it Taxed V. The Principal Assistances in respect to the Actual exercise of it assigned also VI. The Conclusion of the Whole Of how great moment the Office of Supreme Interpreter is I. HAving discoursed over all these preceeding matters relating one way or other to an Vniformity in Churches and the Constituting and rightly ordering of it I come here last of all to State the Office of Supreme Interpreter and to whom it doth belong Which Office and the discharge of it of how great moment it is in respect of all Humane Societies and the members of them it may be more then conjectured from hence viz. from such the Supreme Interpreter his becoming the Judge of Controversies and having it in his hands at any time to fix what Doctrines of Religion he pleaseth in any National Church which he that shall have the Faculty and Power of doing what influence may he not have both upon all Divine and Humane affairs and whether they relate either to Religion or Government or the consistency of each with either The Authentick Interpreters in any National Church Distinguish'd and the Supreme Assign'd II. The Authentick and Publick lawful
make to the hurt of the consistency of Religion with Government XII And last of all in like manner also are they forbidden in Scripture and in both parts of the Divine Law of God See Deut. 7.2 3 4. Deut. 12.2 3. Deut. 13.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Prov. 6.19 17.11 18.6 30.33 and Matth. 12.25 Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 1.10 11. The General conclusion subjoyn'd to all these things XIII We have then further but one consectary and conclusion to subjoyn to these things here in the end of this Chapter and that is that if it be so then that that Charity and Peace which we have mentioned make so much to the welfare of the Publick Charge of the Magistrate and are so much commanded in Scripture and that the contrary contentions hurt so much the same Publick Charge and are so much on the contrary prohibited then in how great a measure is it the Duty of the Supreme Magistrate and all Governours under him both in Church and State in their several Stations in every Society to take all care possible and to use all lawful means that their affairs will permit for the preventing and the removal of the one sort and for the cherishing and promotion of the other sort of these things in respect to their several Societies Vid. D. Ad legem Juliam De vi publica l. 3. l. 1. c. Et D. De poenis L. siquis aliquid fecerit L. si quis aliquid ex Metallo ¶ Authores Et D. De. Re Militari L. ult Et D. De operibus Publicis L. opus novum privato Et C. De Episcop Cler. L. Quicunque residentibus Et De Pagans sacrificiis et Templis L. Christianis qui vero sunt Et C. De his qui ad Ecclesiam Confugiunt c. L. Hac valiturâ et Ad Legem Juliam Majestatis L. quisquius Et vid. Novel Constitut 17. L. Deinde Conversus Et L. neque occasione c. Et sic in aliis Legum Codicibus et legibus passim ubicunque in orbe Conditu and for the welfare of the members of them It is upon the accounts mentioned that all Lawes have ever had these respects to these things And certainly he that will deny the evidence of this Conclusion must deny light to the Sun CHAP. VIII The two Propositions asserted viz. 1. That there must of necessity be some Doctrine or Body of Doctrines for profession of assent to be made to and some forme or way of worship to be us'd in Common and both these as a Foundation for a medium or common means of procuring a charitative Communion amongst men in matters of Religion in any Society 2. That there must of necessity also be a restraint held upon mens venting of their Opinions as a means for the preventing and removal of Religious Contests and both these sorts of means to be used to these ends by the Chief Governour or Governours in such Society I. THe Assignation of the means for the procuring a Charitative Communion and for the preventing Contentions as to matters of Religion in Humane Societies II. And first in order to the Assignation of the Means for the procuring such a Charitative Communion The matters of Religion Distinguished III. Those matters of Religion also Assign'd in Relation to which such a Charitative Communion is to be held IV. The state of the case concerning the holding that Charitative Communion in relation to them V. The Unity necessary to the holding of it describ'd VI. That Unity distinguish'd VII The Internal Unity defin'd and apply'd to the holding of that Charitative Communion VIII Nothing Internal can be a Medium for such a Charitative Communion amongst men IX The External Unity describ'd and distinguish'd diversly X. The more general Assignation of it as the Great Ordinary and stated Medium for the holding such a Charitative Communion XI The more particular Assignation of it as such also XII The great secondary Medium for the holding of such Charitative Communion assigned also XIII The things Fundamentally necessary to the being of these Mediums assign'd and the proof of the First Proposition following upon it XIV An Appendant Question resolv'd XV. The Proof of the Second Proposition also XVI The general Conclusion subjoyn'd to all these things The Assignation of the means for the procuring a Charitative Communion and for the preventing contentions as to matters of Religion in Humane Societies Supra lib. 2. cap. 1. §. 12 13 14 15. Lib. 2. cap 6. § 8 9 10 11. I. HAving above describ'd the benefits of Charity and Peace to Humane Societies and evidenc'd the necessity of some kind of Unity as to matters of Religion to be held amongst men in order to them and having also describ'd the mischeifs of Opinion-Feuds and Contentions on the contrary and evidenc'd their being the effect of a loose and open toleration of the venting of such opinions I come here to assigne the Meanes as for the preventing the one sort so also for the procuring the other sort of these things in such Societies And first in order to the Assignation of the means for the procuring such a Charitative Communion the matters of Religion Distinguished Supra lib. 2. cap. 1. § 12. II. And first of all then in order to our Assignation of the means for the procuring positive Charity and the most proper sort of Peace as was above mentioned flowing from it we must distinguish of the matters of Religion which those things have a respect to And all such matters of Religion are either matters of Doctrine or matters of Worship Those matters of Religion also assign'd in relation to which such a Charitative Communion is to be held III. About these then and under these Notions as all the Opinions mentioned are fram'd and contested so all hearty Charity and Peace doth use to be held And if there be not such Peace and Charity held and the means us'd for the holding of them the contrary Contentions about them will follow in Humane Societies At least the vulgar lie open to be led actually into them by any Heresiark Supra lib. 2. cap. 6. in princip passim Ibid §. 1. or Ringleader of Sedition at any time Their Property which was mention'd of judging all their Notions in Religion to be certain being consider'd But if there be such an hearty Charity and Peace held concerning these matters then there are no matters of Religion coming under any other Notions whatsoever from whence Contentions any wayes dangerous to the publick weale need to be feared And these things are evident from all times and Histories in the World Let the Church affairs of the Jewes Gentiles Christians and Mahometans be looked into Finally it is no wonder if it be so since all matters both of belief and practice in any Religion whatsoever which lead to the Eternal Salvation of men in another world come under one
of these Notions either of Doctrine or Worship as is said And as there is nothing in the whole being of things which will more divide men then Contentions about these things as hath been several times already hinted so there is nothing which will more closely cement and unite them then a Charitative Communion about these things also Experience hath alwayes testified it IV. Doctrines then in matters of Religion are either Written The State of the case concerning the holding that Charitative Communion in relation to them or unwritten and Traditional And such a Charitative communion may be held in respect to either of them But because writing is and alwayes hath been the more ordinary way of the Conservation of Things and Records amongst men and therefore the written sort of these Doctrines are more ordinarily found in all Churches and Humane Societies for this reason it is that we here intend the Peace and Charity mention'd to be held principally concerning them Worship also is either Publick or Private And because men are suppos'd to be reserved and more separate in their private Divine Worship or else such Worship will not bear the Notion of Private Therefore it is that such mutual Peace and Charity is here intended to be held concerning the Publick Divine Worship also and that whether more or less principally according as it is more or less Publick and may from the more or less common use of it be so stiled V. It was said above That Unity was the mother of all Charity The Unity necessary to the holding of it Describ'd Lib. 2. Cap. 1. §. 11. Ibid. That Unity Distinguish'd The Internal Unity Defin'd and applied to the holding of that Charitative communion Nothing internal can be a medium for such a Charitative Communion amongst men And so consequently it is to be supposed here That there must be some kind of unity as to these matters of Religion for the holding of this Peace and Charity mention'd amongst men And what this kind of unity was we said we should here describe also VI. All the possible unity then that is to be held in matters of Religion amongst men is either Internal or External VII The Internal unity is that which is held in respect to Inward Acts of the mind and those of them that are here primarily concern'd and as respecting Doctrines and Worship in matters of Religion as their object are either Assent or Dissent or the middle thing doubting about them VIII Nothing Internal can possibly be of it self and immediately a medium or means for the procuring a Charitative Communion amongst men in any matters whatsoever And so then not in matters of Religion And that because inward Acts of themselves come not under the cognizance of men they not affecting their senses and so cannot affect them Acts 15.8 and 1.24 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God is the searcher of hearts and the like sayes the Christian Scripture And therefore Cogitationis paenam mereri neminem That no man deserves punishment for thoughts is the voyce not only of the Roman Civil Law D. De Reg. jur Reg. 195. but of all Humane Lawes whatsoever And Expressa nocent non expressa non nocent sayes Modestinus That things outwardly expressed hurt but that things not outwardly expressed do not hurt A real Union and Communion there may be it is true in such inward things But that cannot become charitative and promotive of Peace amongst men any farther then it is outwardly signified Besides we enquire here concerning a stated and ordinary Medium for the procuring of such a Charitative Communion amongst them The external Unity Describ'd and distinguished diversly IX So then all external unity that is possible to be held by men in the matters of Religion mention'd is in Relation to external Profession and that as it respects such matters under the abovesaid Notions either of Doctrines or Worship And both of them as they are matters either of Belief or Practice And in relation to all these as such external profession includes and supposeth ordinarily and is so taken to suppose either the Inward Acts of the mind as the Causes of it and in order to it or else the outward Acts of the Body as the effects of it and consequent upon it The Inward Acts of the mind viz. Primarily Assent Dissent or Doubting i. e. those above mentioned of the Intellectual or Prime Faculty of the Soul concern'd as leading the Front in men in these and all other things And secondarily consent and the like Acts of the Will and the Affections consequent upon them and the outward Acts of the Body in relation to Doctrines or Practice in relation to Worship the use of it and the like The more general assignation of it as the great ordinary and stated medium for the holding such a Charitative Communion X. And this unity of External Profession now is it which thus generally respects all these things and also incurres into the Senses and therefore comes under Humane Cognizance and also is possibly and ordinarily to be held in the matters mention'd amongst men and also is operative in them of mutual affection and therefore for all these reasons is fit and assign'd by us here as such to be an ordinary stated Medium for the procuring such a Charitative Communion as hath been mention'd in any Society The more particular assignation of it as such also XI And because some Religion or other is suppos'd to have a being and to be approv'd of and assented to alwayes in all Humane Societies And because the medium here to be mentioned ought of its self and in it's own Nature to tend totally and evidently to the Peace and Charity which it is assign'd as a medium of therefore amongst all the sorts of External Profession mention'd in respect to the Inward Acts of mind it is Profession of Assent only either to matters of Doctrine or Worship either Practical or Speculative which is here primarily to be look'd upon as such a stated medium for the Communion mentioned and the outward practice of Doctrines or use of Worship are to be look'd upon as Testimonial to it XII Yet because publick Worship is the most solemn way The great secondary medium for the holding of such charitative Communion assign'd also next to this General and Universal Profession of mens external concurrence in matters of Religion and because the Sabboths and other times of such Publick Worship both Stated and Occasional recurre so frequently as they do and ever have done in all Religions and also because the use of such Publick Worship and men conjunct partaking in it are at the times of it the things they are immediatly and most sensibly concern'd in and so they are for the present the most sensibly affected by them and afterwards also proportionably by their subsequent influence on them And for all these Reasons they are very prevalent to work Unity