A PERSWASIVE TO Peace Unity AMONG CHRISTIANS Notwithstanding their different Apprehensions in lesser things 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Judgment Phil. 2.2 Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind Rom. 14.19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for Peace and things wherewith one may edifie another LONDON Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhil near the Poultry 1672. A PERSWASIVE TO Peace and Unity AMONG CHRISTIANS THE deep sense of the very ill effects of our Church-Divisions hath put me as it should do every good Christian upon healing considerations An account of some of which I shall give in the following Discourse which I shall ground on the words of St. Paul Eph. 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Which contain that behaviour in part by which Christians may and ought to walk worthy of that Vocation to which they are called Unto which the Apostle doth with the greatest earnestness exhort and perswade them in this and the two former Verses And the words give us occasion to inquire into two things 1. What is meant by the Unity of the Spirit 2. How this Unity is preserved by Peace and how we are to endeavour so to preserve it 1. What is meant by the Unity of the Spirit The Unity of the Spirit is that One-ness among Christians which the Spirit of God worketh or effecteth by the Gospel which is the Ministration of the Spirit For by the Spirits operation through that Men become one in Faith or Perswasion one in Profession one in Affection and one in Communion And by their Union and agreement in these or the three former of these they become one Body or Spiritual Corporation under Christ the Head of it By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body and are made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 For the work of the Ministry till we all come to the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Ephes 4.12 13. 1. They are by the Spirit made one in faith or perswasion touching the great fundamental truths in the Christian Religion such as the Apostle doth instance in in the three following Verses Even as ye were called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all First they are all called by the Gospel to embrace Christianity in One Hope of obtaining forgiveness of sins and eternal Life Secondly they all agree in professing Faith in One Lord Jesus Christ as the only Mediator in opposition to the Lords many the many Mediators the Heathen professed to have and to worship 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Thirdly they all agree in the Belief that the Doctrine of the Gospel by Christ and his Apostles contained in the Holy Scriptures is a revelation from God touching what Men ought to believe and how they ought to live called the One Faith and the Common Faith from the Christians unanimous agreement in it Tit. 1.4 Fourthly they all agree and are one in the belief of One God and Father of all in opposition to the many Idol-gods worshipped by others Fifthly there is also One Baptism by which all the Christians with one consent make profession solemnly of their belief in and Dedication to the Worship and Service of the Father Son and Holy Ghost into whose Name they were Baptized and by which as by a sacred Rite they are solemnly declared to be of the one Body the Church By one Spirit are all Baptized into one Body 2. They all agree and are one in the Profession of the Common Faith the fundamental Doctrines of the Gospel the belief of which is of necessity to Salvation Which Profession is called The acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness Tit. 1.1 2 Tim. 2.25 The acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2.2 As with the heart they believe unto Righteousness so with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 3. So far as they are Christians indeed they are all one in affection or Brotherly Love They Love all Men even those that are not Christians with a love of compassion desiring and seeking their good but they love their fellow Christians wish a special kind of love for the appearance of good in them for their one-ness with them in the Faith called a loving or the Truths sake which is in them 2 John 1.2 And a loving them in the 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.15 By which they become One 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 togethâ—◠〈◊〉 Love Act. 4.32 Col. 2.2 And hence it is that Faith in our Lord 〈◊〉 Christ and love to all the Saints are frequently joyned together in Scripture 4. All they that rightly be of the Unity of the Spirit are also one in Communion One in their Communion in Grace mutually loving one another and praying one for another One in Communion in Gifts edifying one another as they have opportunity And one in Communion in Ordinances communicating together in Ordinances of Divine Worship Spiritually with all and locally with those among whom they live 1 Cor. 10.17 For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread These are the things in which the Unity of the Spirit doth especially consist Not that I limit it to these only for it is the work of the Spirit in the Gospel to be bringing the Believers to speak all the same thing and to be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment in the lesser things of Religion as well as the greater but their actual agreement lyeth mostly in the greater 2. How this Unity is preserved by Peace and how we are to endeavour so to preserve it Unity in the whole community of Christians is preserved by each Member's observing the Laws and Rules made for the Government and good Order of the whole in their carriage towards each other For while every Man Acts his own part only and keeps in his own Rank according to Rule there is no confusion no disturbance no division and peace and confusion or disorder are put in opposition to one another 1 Cor. 14.33 Christ the Head of the Church or Spiritual Corporation hath made several excellent Laws and Rules to govern the Members of his Body in their behaviour one towards another for the common good of the whole and for the Honour of their Religion and of him who is the great Founder of it As that all their things should be done in Charity That they be gentle and courteous humble and condescending in Honour
their contrary wayes And if the Lord in such a case will not despise or judge such an one so as to condemn him though under a mistake but of that Nature as certainly he will not but pity and pardon him for he hath compassion on them that are ignorant and out of the way much less should we who are fallible our felves and compassed about with infirmities Who art thou that judgest another mans Servant saith our Apostle to his own Master he standeth or falleth every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Let us not therefore judge one another any more ver 4.12 13. for that is a judgment belongs not unto us There is one Law-giver and one Judge who art thou that judgest another Jam. 4.12 That is what dost thou make thy self to be that darest to undertake such a thing And as we should be afraid to judge one another so we should of despising one another in any case like that before mentioned for our Saviours serious caveat against it argues it to be both much against his mind and of dangerous consequence to our selves and others Take heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones Mat. 18.10 He knew that his little Ones because but little Ones in knowledge and grace that have little of these to render their fellowship much desirable are apt to be neglected and slighted and to be thereby discouraged and turned aside he therefore cautions those that are stronger to take heed lest they should be betrayed into any carriage towards them as signifies their slighting of them Our Saviour had shewed before how sad a thing it would be for any Man to be instrumental in turning any weak Christian aside by any undue carriage towards him when he said in ver 6. Wo be to the World because of offences c. and wo be to him by whom the offence cometh And it would be far more Christ-like of whom it is said He shall not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax to use more care pains and tenderness towards the weak and feeble to preserve and increase that little spark of Christianity in them though it be no more and though there be no more appearance of it than there is of fire when only smoak can be discerned then towards those that are strong and do not stand in so very much need of tenderness in our carriage and applications to them Which also agrees excellently well with St. Paul's Metaphorical Discourse in 1 Cor. 12.23 24 25. Those Members of the Body which we think to be less honourable upon these we bestow more abundant honour and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness For our comely parts have no need but God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked that there should be no Schism in the Body implying that certainly there will be where such care tenderness of proceeding is not used towards such as are least accounted of in the Church Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet by removing all discouraging impediments out of the way lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but rather let it be healed looking diligently lest any fail of the grace of God Heb. 12.12 13 15. How far all parties of Men among us have made themselves guilty of breaking the Peace and Unity of the Church by this unchristian despising and judging one another concerns them to consider and the guilty to repent of what is past and to reform for time to come that they may not be judged and condemned by God for what they have done That 's the second Direction III. Direction Those that would keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace must be careful to forbear all hard speeches and ill reflexions on them that differ from them especially tale-bearing backbiting and whispering They must make no ill representation of one another behind their backs by raking up and then scattering abroad all the evil they can or whatever may tend to the disparagement or reproach of such as differ from them Because if they should be guilty herein though they may think thereby to weaken the Reputation of the Cause they oppose yet in truth they will be so far from reconciling their Opponent to their Cause as that they will thereby dishonour it and render it the more suspected and Communion with themselves so much the less desirable and all their own arguings the less available and by-standers the readier to fall in with those of a better behaviour as judging thereby their Cause to be better though in it self it should be worse for a good Cause may be spoiled in the handling All such unchristian carriage tends to exasperate imbitter and provoke the Spirits of their Opponents both against them and their Cause and to widen the breach more and more and to set them at the greater distance and to make them the more irreconcilable A froward Man soweth strife saith the Wise man Prov. 26.28 Grievous words stir up anger and the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife and the words of a tale-bearer are as wounds Prov. 15.1 and 26.22 and 30.33 So true it is that the wrath of man doth not work the Righteousness of God Jam. 1.20 It is not for the interest of the Truth nor doth it any wayes advantage the cause of God No if any Man would see any good effect of his endeavours towards the Uniting of Men if he would see the Seed he sows come up let him be sure to avoid all harsh and unpeaceable proceedings therein The Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace of them that make Peace Jam. 3.18 The Servant of God must not strive but be gentle to all 2 Tim. 2.24 As we must follow Peace with all Men Heb. 12.14 So in order thereto we must speak evil of no Man Tit. 3.2 IV. Direction In Order to our keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace we must study rather to agree with than to differ from one another and be more sollicitous to find out what will bring us nearer together than what will set us at a greater distance And this is one way of following after the things which make for peace and of studying to be quiet to both which we are exhorted Rom. 14.20 1 Thes 4.11 And to this end I shall recommend these three things 1. To make Conscience of endeavouring as truly and sincerely to find out what may make us of their mind that differ from us if it be to be found out as what may tend to make them of our mind We should be as much afraid of offending against the publick Peace and Charity of the Church as against Truth of being guilty of Schism in practice as of error in judgment and take as much pains to keep our selves from a causless differing from others
determined to whom we shall pray and in whose Name and for what and in what manner but not in what external mode as whether in a set Form or without either of them may be Lawful For the reason doubtless why God hath not restrained Prayer either to the one mode or the other is that either may be made use of as occasion serves or circumstances require For if he had not intended to have left Men at more Liberty in this then he hath in the object matter and manner of prayer he would have been as particular in determining in what mode he would be sought to as in what Name and for what It is in this duty of Prayer in reference to the mode much as it is in the duty of singing of Psalms the duty of singing them is expresly enjoyned in the New Testament as well as the Old but what Psalms in particular and whether such as are indited by them that sing or by some others for them or whether in Prose or in Meeter or whether by all the Congregation joyntly or by a part only are circumstances not determined particularly in the New Testament And why are they not But that there might be a Liberty left to vary in these particulars as circumstances should render it most convenient Some indeed have made such ill use of this as that because the Scripture hath not determined all these particulars they will not make use of any and so wholly neglect the duty it self to the dishonour of him who hath made it a duty as if he had been defective in not determining those circumstances when as Men were purposely left at Liberty herein for their greater edification And doubtless for the same reason is the external mode of Prayer left so much undetermined as it is By these things we may see how impertinently some use to object against the Lyturgical mode of Worship the sin of Nadab and Abihu in offering strange fire before the Lord and of Jeroboam's keeping the Passeover on the fifteenth day of the eighth Moneth and the like For if the offering of Incense had been commanded but with what fire not determined it would not have been their sin to have offered with any fire that had been conveniently useful for that purpose And so if the keeping of the Passeover had been commanded and neither time nor place determined it would have been no sin to have kept it on the fifteenth day of the eighth Moneth and in Bethel provided it had been to the Lord only So we say when Prayer is commanded but the mode not determined any are lawful as Circumstances shall render them convenient God had appointed with what fire Incense should be offered as well as that Incense it self should be offered viz. with fire from off the Altar And so he had in what Moneth and on what day of the Moneth the Passeover should be kept as well as that it should be kept at all and in varying from these was the sin of those Men. If God had limitted Prayer by his command to that mode which we call extemporary praying then these instances would have been pertinently alledged against the Lyturgy but this is not the case and therefore they and all other of like Nature are impertinently alledged against modes of Worship not determined in Scripture either one way or other And such is the allegation of those Scriptures also in this case which are against adding to the Word Deut. 12.32 against Sacrificing to Idol-gods which God saith he commanded not Jer. 7.31 and 19.5 Deut. 17.3 against making false representations of God by Images as in the second Commandment which because they do so are therefore called a lye all which refer to false Worship in the substance of it as being contrary to God's express Command and not unto such circumstances relating to the substance of Commanded Worship which are neither Commanded nor forbidden but left to the prudence of God's People to order themselves in by general Rules for which cause the allegation of them in this business is wholly impertinent and irrelative to the question And yet this way of misapplying Scripture hath been I think I may say the only way of upholding unlawful separations in the Church But the plain truth is if that would satisfie Men that the Scripture is so far from forbidding the use of a set Form in Prayer in any case as that there is much in the Scripture to countenance it God Commanded a Form to be used by the Priests in Blessing the People Numb 6.23 Hezekiah the King and the Princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer 2 Chron. 29.30 What are many of the Psalms but so many set Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving The Title of the 102 Psalm is A Prayer for the afflicted when he is over-whelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. The 72 Psalm concludes thus The prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended The Title of the 90 Psalm is a Prayer of Moses the man of God Our Saviour taught his Disciples a Forme of Prayer as John the Baptist had before taught his and commanded them saying when ye Pray savour Father c. And is it not strange then that any of his Disciples should say when ye pray say not our Father c. Again do not they who sing Psalms pray to God and praise God in a set Form Nay is not the Prayer of every Minister a Form to all the People that joyn with him how extemporary soever it may be to him himself For they are as much confined in this case as if he read it out of a Book and every time he varies it is still but a new Form to the People So that they that are most against Forms are necessitated to use some themselves And so I have done with shewing my reason why the Prayers of the Lyturgie cannot be proved unlawful in respect of its being a set Form 2. They cannot prove it unlawful to joyn in the Prayers made according to the Lyturgie upon account of its being such a set Form as it is Neither 1. In respect of the object to whom nor of the Mediator by whom the Prayer is made Nor 2. In respect of the matter of it of which it doth consist Nor 3. In respect of the words and phrase significant of the matter Nor 4. In respect of the method the repetitions the abruptions the responses or popular conclamations thereby used nor because read out of a Book Nor 5. Though they should be able to prove the fore-mentioned repetitions abruptions responses and conclamations or the like to be real defects in that mode of Worship and that a better is desirable and that another might be more useful 1. They cannot prove Communion in those Prayers unlawful in respect of him to whom they are made nor in respect of him in whose Name they are made For they are made
true is no good Argument against the due use of it in propagating the true He is the Minister of God to thee for good saith the Scripture and as long as he doth that which tends to publick good he is not out of his way to be sure Rom. 13.4 Every Christian is bound to promote the interest of Religion according to his capacity he that is head of a Family as such is bound to do it and so he that is head of a Kingdome as such is bound to do it likewise every one is under an obligation to do it according to their Talents and several abilities It 's true indeed that since all such as are the Higher Powers are Ministers of God for good to the People and have no power from God to do any thing against the Truth but for the Truth It is greatly to be wished and fervently to be prayed for in behalf of all Christian Princes and Governours that God would give them Wisdome that nothing may be imposed upon their People by them in the Worship of God but what hath a plain and apt tendency one way or other to further Edification or to help their Devotion And that such wayes and methods of promoting these ends may be made use of as are least lyable to exception or disputation thereby to cut off as much as may be all occasion of Division and pretence of dissatisfaction that so Peace Love and Unity may be recovered and the happy effects of them obtained Yet when all is done that can be done there will in all National settlements of this Nature be place for the Exercise of humane prudence And indeed I know no Sect or party but though they decry humane prudence about the Worship of God never so much yet do make use of it themselves in their Administration of Holy things and are necessitated so to do if they will Worship God publickly at all The Ordinances of Baptism Lord's Supper Word and Prayer as touching the matter and substance of them are particularly and expresly determined in Scripture But many particulars about the Administration of these are left to the guidance and direction of general Rules for Edification It is not determined in particular what Prayers shall be made either before or after the Administration of Baptism or the Lord's Supper or what exhortation shall be made to the People upon the occasion of them It is not determined in particular how or in what way or method the Word and Prayer shall be used in Church-Assemblies As how much and what part of the Scripture shall be read at one meeting or how or what way the Minister shall improve the Word by Preaching as whether by what occurrs to his present thoughts upon occasion of what is then read or by uttering what he hath prepared by painful studies otherwise or whether he shall do this with or without the help of Notes Nor is it particularly determined whether all or part or none of the publick Prayers shall be in a prescribed Form except the Lord's Prayer or whether any of it shall or shall not be read out of a Book or whether Prayer shall be made both before and after Sermon Now in this case those to whom it belongs to take order for the setling of God's publick Worship in a Nation with the best advice they can take will necessarily be put upon considering whether it is best to leave all these things wholly to each Minister's Liberty and choyce or wholly to limit them or whether to leave them partly at Liberty as in the Pulpit and partly to limit them And while they deliberate on these things several circumstances will come under consideration As the different abilities and various tempers of the Ministers and the various capacities and tempers of the People as whether that which may be best for some may be best for all or whether somewhat of a middle Nature may not best accommodate all and what hath anciently been practised in the Church of God and what is practised in other Reformed Churches and which way is most likely to preserve Truth and Peace in the Church and the like And when Men have only general Rules to guide and govern themselves by in determining such things as these it must be remembred that it is a thing incident to the holiest and wisest Men to differ in their application of particular cases to general Rules when a great variety of Circumstances are to be taken in to make a right judgment in the case their different measures of light if not of Interests too exposing them thereunto Their late differences under a greater Liberty in this kind then can now be expected is a sufficient proof of this And when things of this Nature are done determined upon the best terms as is thought by them into whose hands the Providence of God hath cast it though it should be otherwise not only in the thoughts of many others but also really in it self yet if nothing be thereby imposed as a Condition of Communion but what Circumstances considered is Lawful the reasons formerly given may I conceive well sway with all sober and peaceable-minded Christians rather to make the best use they can of the present settlement then to chuse to separate because it is not in all things to their mind For if there should not be a bearing with one another in such lesser differences for general Edification sake and the interest of Religion in the main and for the maintenance of Peace and Love till by discreet sober and peaceable means those that differ can work themselves or those that differ from them into a nearer agreement how should it ever be expected that Christians should maintain such fellowship upon their agreement in the substantials of Christianity notwithstanding circumstantial differences as for which the Scripture is far more express then it is for such particular modes of Worship as those are about which they differ If differences in judgment about Circumstances whereby the substance of Religion is not in danger should be a sufficient ground of separation its probable there would be almost as many separations as Churches in the World Having now done with what I had to say to take Men off from those Dividing Principles which are chiefly considerable I shall pursue my Directions for endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace no further considering what plentiful provision there is already made for Direction in the Cure of Church-divisions as by others so especially by that laborious Servant of the Lord Mr. Baxter I shall therefore conclude this Discourse with a few motives to perswade the several parties which are Divided to Unite again and to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace And that all on all hands would manifest themselves to be such hearty lovers of Peace Unity and Charity as for the sake thereof those that are uppermost would count it no