Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A66185
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An exhortation to mutual charity and union among Protestants in sermon preach'd before the King and Queen at Hampton-Court, May 21. 1689 / by William Wake ... publish'd by His Majesties special command.
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Wake, William, 1657-1737.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing W242; ESTC R4543
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15,773
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37
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AN EXHORTATION TO MUTUAL Charity and Union AMONG PROTESTANTS IN A SERMON Preach'd before the KING and QUEEN AT HAMPTON-COVRT MAY 21. 1689. By WILLIAM WAKE Chaplain in Ordinary to Their MAJESTIES And Preacher to the Honourable Society of Grays-Inn Publish'd by His Majesties Special Command LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard And W. Rogers at the Sun over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1689. ROM XV. 5 6 7. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God. THE Words are part of that affectionate Application which the Apostle here makes of his excellent Discourse concerning the Exercise of Christian Charity in that great Instance of Condescention to the Infirmities of our Weaker Brethren in the foregoing Chapter The Occasion of it was this There were in those first times many among the Jews who tho they were converted to the Christian Faith yet still continued zealous for the Law and not only carefully observed themselves all the Rites and Ceremonies of it but would also by any means impose upon all others also the observance of them And how earnest they were upon this account and how much they hated the Gentile Converts upon whom the Apostles did not think fit to lay any such burden many Passages both in the Acts and in St. Paul's Epistles do sufficiently declare But as in all other differences it seldom happens that the whole heat of the Controversie rests only on one side so here tho the Jewish Converts were both the first beginners of this Dispute and the more zealous pursuers of it yet neither were the Gentile Christians utterly without fault in it but so far stood fast in that liberty wherewith Christ had made them free as not only to despise the weakness and ignorance of the others but to be ready almost even to cut them off from their Communion I need not say how dangerous such a Controversie as this might have proved nor what a stop it might have put to the progress of Christianity in those first beginnings of the Gospel Great were the difficulties which the Apostles underwent on this occasion whilst they endeavoured so to menage themselves between these two Parties as not only not to offend either but if it were possible to bring them Both to such a temper with one another that neither the Gentile Convert might despise the weakness of his Judaizing Brother nor the Jewish Votary judge too severely of the Liberty of the Gentile Christian. And this was the design of St. Paul in the Chapter before my Text. Where addressing himself as indeed he seems to have done this whole Epistle to the Gentile Christians and whom as having the truer Notion of their Christian Liberty as to this matter he therefore calls the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong in the Faith v. 1. He exhorts them in a most admirable Discourse on this Subject throughout that whole Chapter to bear the Infirmities of the Weak i. e. not to grieve nor despise them for their mistaken Zeal but by complying a little and condescending to their Infirmities to endeavour if it should please God to draw them out of their Error Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification And then concludes all in the words of the Text wherein we have First A hearty Prayer to God Almighty That he would inspire them so effectually with a Spirit of Unity and Charity that notwithstanding all their differences they might join unanimously both Jews and Gentiles not only in the same common Worship of God but with the same hearty affection to one another Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And secondly An Exhortation as the final result of his whole Discourse That they should with all charitable condescention and kindness receive and love and assist one another and not despise and censure and deprive one another either of their Charity or their Communion Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the Glory of God. In which words as they thus lie before us in the Occasion and Design of them there are two things that will offer themselves to our consideration First An Exhortation to these Dissenting Christians and in them to all of us Not to break either Charity or Communion with one another upon the account of such things wherein we may securely differ but mutually to bear with one another in our differences Secondly An Enforcement of this Exhortation from two of the greatest Considerations that can possibly engage any Christian to an observance of it viz. First From the Example of Christ towards us Secondly From the greater Glory that will hereby redound to God. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the Glory of God. I shall make it my endeavour with all the plainess that I can to pursue both the Exhortation and the Enforcement in the three following Propositions I. That there may be differences in matters of lesser moment between very good and zealous Christians without any just reflection either upon the Men or upon their Religion II. That these differences ought not to hinder such persons from agreeing together not only in a common Charity but if it be possible in a common Worship of God too III. That to this End it is the Duty of all Christians but especially of those who are the strong in Faith not only to pray for such a Union but as they have opportunity heartily to labour Themselves and earnestly to stir up all Others to endeavour after it And first That there may be Differences in matters of lesser moment between very good and zealous Christians without any just reflection upon the Men or upon their Religion For proof of which I think I need go no farther than the very History of my Text. I have already said how great a division there was between the Jewish and the Gentile Converts about the Ritual Observances of the Law of Moses and with what a Zeal the Dissenting Parties managed the Dispute till they had almost lost their Charity and made a deplorable Schism in the Church of Christ. And yet I am confident no man will say that this was at all derogatory either to the Truth of their common Christianity or to the Infallible Authority with which the Apostles had deliver'd it unto them And for the Parties themselves that thus differ'd with one another that they had a true Zeal on both sides for the Glory of God and thought
is what we say for our selves concerning our Differences We agree in all those things that are necessary to a Sound and Saving Faith and if we differ in matters of lesser moment 't is no more than what all other Christians have ever done and what those of the Church of Rome its self at this day do So that still it must remain either that those Differences which were among the Christians of old and which are among us now are no prejudice at all to the common Truth which we profess or if they be the Consequence will fall upon those of the Church of Rome no less that I do not say and more severely than upon us and be of the same Force against Their Religion that it can be against Ours But I must carry this Reflection a great deal farther for 3 dly If once this Principle be allowed That because men differ in some things they ought not to be credited in any what then will become not only of the Protestant Religion as it now stands in Opposition to Popery but even of Christianity its self For might not a Turk or a Jew if he were minded to give himself so much trouble to so little purpose as this late Author has done draw out a large HISTORY of the VARIATIONS of Christians among themselves from the Controversie of the Text unto this day and then by the very same Principle conclude against us all That we have none of us any certain Grounds for Our Religion because the differences that are among us plainly shew that some of us must be deceived And to go yet one step farther Might not a Sceptick by the same Rule argue against all Religion and even against all Reason too That the disagreement of mankind in these and many other Points of the greatest Importance plainly shews there is no certainty in any thing and therefore that we ought not to rely either upon the one or upon the other It remains therefore that unless we will overthrow all the measures of Christian Charity towards our Neighbour and the common Truth I do not say both of their Faith and of our own but even of Christianity its self nay and of all Religion and Reason in general We must conclude That good Christians may differ from one another in matters of lesser moment without any just Reflection either upon themselves or their Religion But here therefore I must desire not to be misunderstood For when I say that Christians may without any danger to themselves or disparagement to the Truth of their Religion differ with one another I mean only as the Terms of my Proposition expresly shew in lesser matters such as do not concern the Fundamentals of Faith nor destroy the Worship of God nor are otherwise so clearly revealed but that Wise and Good Men after all their Enquiries may still continue to differ in their Opinions concerning them For otherwise if Interest and Prejudice blind mens eyes and they err because they resolve they will not be convinced and so by their own fault continue in mistakes contrary to the Foundation of Faith and destructive of Piety If for instance Men will profess to believe but in One God and yet worship Thousands If they will read ovâ—r the second Commandment and nevertheless both make and bow down before Graven Images in despite of it If whilst they acknowledge Christ to have instituted the Blessed Eucharist in both kinds they command it to be administred but in One and pray in an unknown Tongue tho St Paul has spent almost a whole Chapter to shew the Folly and Unreasonableness of it These are Errors in which I am not concerned and tho I should be unwilling even here at all adventures to pronounce any Sentence against the Men yet I must needs say that Religion cannot be very sound which stands corrupted with so many and such fundamental Abuses And this makes the difference between those Errors for which we separate from the Church of Rome and those Controversies which sometimes arise among Protestants themselves The former are in matters of the greatest consequence such as tend directly to destroy the Integrity of Faith and the Purity of our Worship and therefore such as are in their own nature destructive of the very Essentials of Christianity Whereas our differences do not at all concern the Foundations either of Faith or Worship and are therefore such in which Good Men if they be otherwise diligent and sincere in their Enquiry may differ without any prejudice to themselves or any just reflection upon the Truth of their common Profession Which being thus clear'd in answer to the little Endeavours of one of the latest of our Adversaries against us upon this Account I go on Secondly to shew II. That such differences as these ought not to hinder such persons from agreeing together not only in a common Charity but if it be possible in a common Worship of God too This is what St. Paul here expresly exhorts these dissenting Christians to and earnestly prays to God that he might see accomplished in them That when they came together to the publick Offices of the Church to offer up their common Prayers and Thanksgivings to Him they might do it not only in the same form of words but with the same affection of mind too both towards God and towards one another Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that ye may with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such was their Duty to one another then and we ought certainly no less to esteem the same to be our Duty towards one another now And First As to the business of Charity God forbid that any differences in Religion whatsoever much less such little ones as those we are now speaking of should ever make us deny that to our fellow Christians 'T is true indeed our Saviour Christ once foretold to his Disciples That there should rise up Men from among their Brethren who should upon this account not only put them out of their Synagogues but even think that it was a matter of Religion to kill them But they were Jews not Christians who were to do this and He expresly adds that 't was their ignorance of Him and his Religion that should carry them on to so furious and intemperate a Zeal For these things says he shall they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor Me. And we must confess it to the scandal of our Holy Religion that there are a sort of Men who call themselves Christians now that still continue to fulfil this Prophecy in the very Letter of it who not only cast us out of their Synagogues that we should not much complain of and as far as in them lies cut us off from all the hopes of Salvation too but to compleat the parallel openly arm the