separately each from other without any care to maintaine good neighbourhood and acquaintance but rather to crosse one another in their walkes and draw sheep one from another how will they bee able to answer it to him that hath intrusted them with the joynt care of his flock I find that when the soul Cant. 1. 7 8 which is in love with Christ doth seeke to find him out it is afraid to turne aside unto the flockes of his companions and when it is directed how to come to him it is bid goe forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed besides the shepheards tents whence wee may observe that the multitude of flocks under many pretending to bee Christs companions doe perplex the soule and turne it aside from him but the unitie of the flock under shepheards that are united is the way wherein Christ is to bee found Thirdly their relation to the workes of their employment doth wholly necessitate them to maintaine mutuall love and unitie because not onely these duties in themselves are a principall part of their worke but what ever else doth belong to their charge whether it concerne the Church or the Gospel it can neither bee acceptable unto God nor profitable unto men except it bee done in the spirit of love and unitie First then that these duties are recommended unto them as a maine part of the very worke which is chiefly to be aâ—med at in their profession I suppose hath been abundantly made out by that which formerly hath been alleadged Secondly that nothing can bee acceptable unto God without this frame of spirit is evident because God is love and hee that loveth not knoweth not God 1 John 4. 8. and on the contrary hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him ibid. Vers 16. Moreover he that doth not all his workes in love as he is commanded 1 Cor. 16. 14. transgresseth the whole Law by the unlovely frame of his spirit because as love is the fulfilling of the whole Law Rom. 13. 8 9 10. So the want of it must needs bee the transgression of the whole Law and hee that is not subject to the Law of God cannot please him saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 7 8. And as nothing can bee acceptable unto God which is not done in love so it cannot bee profitable unto men For if God blesse it not how can it prosper towards them and how can hee blesse that which is displeasing to him And then the Apostle tells us that knowledge is apt to puffe men up but it is Charitie which edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. And what I say of love may bee verified of unitie as it is the fruit of love inseparable from it in Christs aime John 37. 23. and equally recommended to us by the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 10. and 2 Cor. 13. 11. Ephes 4. 1. Ephes 4. 1. till 7. Phil. 2. 2. whence wee see that all things which are to bee done by any must thus bee qualified to find acceptance but if wee looke more distinctly upon the proper workes of their employment towards the Church and for the Gospel wee shall perceive more cleerly the intrinsecall coherence which is found between these duties and the Ministeriall administrations For the workes of their administration towards the Church are all the Ordinances of God belonging to the publick worship in the word and prayer whereunto the Sacraments the Acts 6. 4 Government and the Discipline are subordinate that therein by the Word and Prayer the Saints may have communion with God through the Spirit The whole substance and summe of all that they have to doe is expressed by the Apostle Ephes 4. Ephes 4. from Vers 11. till 17. where I observe that all the gifts and Vers 11. Offices which Christ hath given to his Church both the extraordinary of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists and the ordinary of Pastors and teachers their worke is the same towards the Church unto the worlds end namely this 1. To bee serviceable Vers 12. in perfecting the Saints and in building up the body of Christ in Faith and knowledge till they all come to the unitie thereof unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Vers 13. Where wee see that the end of their worke is nothing else but the perfection of unitie and consequently if any should not aime at this it is evident that they come short of the true end of their administration of the ordinances and shoot not at the marke which God hath set before them Secondly their service is to preserve by this meanes the Vers 14. Professors of Christianitie from that unsettlement which is brought upon those that are children in understanding by the different doctrines of men and their sleights and cunning craftinesse whereby they lay in wait to deceive the simple and draw disciples after them whence wee may gather that if the true Ministers had done their worke as they should have done in love and unitie from the beginning of the Reformation the deceivers of these times would never have prevailed so as they have done hitherto But because this hath not been intended therefore they have gotten all the advantages that they can desire and wish for both against us and all other Protestants Thirdly their worke is not onely to unite them in faith and Vers 15. knowledge and to preserve them from seducers but to endeavour their growth in all things into him who is their head Christ by the sinceritie and truth of love Fourthly and to this effect their worke is to compact them Vers 16. and joyne them together as one body to build up themselves in love by that which every joynt is able to supply unto another Whence wee may most evidently perceive that the whole substance of their worke towards the Church and Saints to perfect them and build them up is in effect nothing but this to unite them in the faith and knowledge of Christ to preserve them from unsettlement and to cause them grow up within themselves by the loving communication of their graces to each other As concerning the work which they are to intend for the Gospel to maintain the profession of it in the world it is in a word to uphold the truth which is after godlinesse that it Tit. 1. 1. may be acknowledged to bee the grace of God which bringeth salvation and that it may appeare unto all men to teach them to Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and the Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himselfe for us that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people jealous of good workes Now to hold forth this word of life the Apostle requireth in all Professours and therefore most of all in
the Ministers of the profession that they should doe all things without murmurings and Phil. 2. 14. disputings and that they should bee in their conversation blamelesse and harmelesse as the Sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation and that they should stand fast in Phil. 1. 27. in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel Where wee may observe that in that worke which is proper to the advancement of the Gospel of truth in the world the holinesse of life the peaceablenesse and the unitie of the professors are the necessary requisites without which nothing in this kind can bee effected For this worke hath two parts The one is towards the children of truth the other is against the adversaries of truth Towards the children of truth the worke is in respect of the common profession to concurre in the wayes of righteousnesse of faith of charitie and of peace with all those that call upon God out of a pure heart 2 Tim. 2. 22. and in respect of the aime of mutuall edification for practise it is to exhort one another daily whiles it is called to day Hebr. 3. 13. and to provoke one another to love and to good workes Heb. 10. 24. and for knowledge it is to endeavour that their hearts may bee comforted being knit together in love and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Col. 2. 2 3. Where we ought to observe that the studie of love and unitie have not onely an influence upon the common profession and that part of the peculiar worke of edification which is practicall to maintain it but also that it is a meanes to confirme and comfort the hearts of the beleevers in all the riches of the full assurance of the knowledge of the highest and most secret Mysteries And consequently that where this studie is not entertained there both the profession and all the comforts which arise unto the soules of beleevers practically and intellectually from their peculiar interests in each others edification doe wholly decay and the great mysteries of our salvation concerning God and the Father and Christ are darkned made doubtfull and by some utterly contradicted all which is brought to passe now adayes as much if not more then in any age heretofore by our dissensions As for the adversaries and gainesayers who are to bee opposed if wee take them to bee the principalities and powers of darknesse and spiritualities of malice in high places a chief part of the armour by which we are to fight against them and preserve our selves from their assaults is to have our Loines that is our affections girt about with truth that is with sincere love which is the bond of perfectnesse Ephes 6. 14. and to have our feet Col. 3. 14. with Ephes 4. 15. shod that is our wayes of conversion fitted with the preparation of the Gospel of peace that is with meanes of peace to prepare men to entertain without offence and peaceably the Gospel of the peace of God which is revealed in his word to us Ephes 6. 15. But if wee take the opposers to bee men although sometimes their mouthes must be stopped and they sharply rebuked Tit. 1. 10 11 12 13. Tit. 3. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 23. namely when it is evident that they are vain talkers unruly deceivers and liars yet alwayes matters of strife and jangling both with them and all others are to bee avoided which we now have not heeded and the behaviour of the servant of God even in his greatest zeale and in the worst of times must never bee precipitate and hasty that is without long suffering 2 Tim. 4. 2 3. But chiefly towards such of whom there may be hope of recovery all gentlenesse patience forbearance and meeknesse of instruction is with great care to bee used as the Apostle doth teach Timothy 2 Epist 2. 24 25. which is a lesson almost utterly forgotten in these our dayes amongst some that esteeme themselves the chief of Professors Thus then wee see that there is no particular part of all the Ministeriall worke wherein the spirit of love and unitie must not appeare as the principall agent to make it successefull Fourthly and lastly their relation to each other as fellow-labourers in these workes is properly that of joynts which are between the Members of the body to unite them to each other and to make them dependent upon the head For in Ephes 4. vers 16. the Apostle doth cleerly speak of the visible body of the Church as it hath a spirituall communion with Christ and within it self by the meanes of that which every joynt supplyeth if then every part by his joynt that is by his Minister to whom is joyned a societie of Saints as a part of the whole is bound to supply to another part that which is his effectuall working towards the building up of the body in Love then it is absolutely necessary for him to correspond and concur with his neighbour and fellow-joynts for how can any part supply any thing to another part of the body without the joynt thereof So then wee must observe that the Associations of the Saints which are undeniable true parts of the whole should edifie one another by that which every joynt supplyeth For to that effect joynts are in the body and the Apostle saith in the whole body to let us understand that all the particular Associations of Beleevers in respect of the common profession are to bee counted as one Association and that by the joynts which God hath set in the whole the parts therefore are fitly to bee joyned together whence wee must gather that Ministers are not onely joynts to unite individuall Professors into a societie but to unite one Congregation unto another for hee saith that the whole is compacted by joynts it followeth then that the Congregations though distinct by themselves and one within themselves as to their severall joynts yet ought to bee further joynted with other Congregations and not to bee at a distance and stand by themselves as parts of the whole disjoynted from each other which is the posture whereat many desire to stand and is the practise of too many upon severall pretences to the great dishonour of the Gospel in the common profession of Christianitie But how contrary this is unto the true end of the publick worship of God to the calling of the Ministery to the aime of Christ in giving gifts unto men to the perfecting of the Saints and to the edifying of the body of Christ I hope such as are conscionable will bee able to see by that which hath beene hitherto said And although I thinke it needlesse to speake much more of this relation which Ministers ought to maintaine one to another seeing it hath already
THE Moderator Endeavouring A full Composure and quiet Settlement of those many Differences both in Doctrine and Discipline which have so long disturbed the Peace and welfare of this COMMON-WEALTH Intended especially at this time to beget a Brotherly Love and Unity amongst the Ministers and People of all the three Nations the Parliament having now appointed a Committee for receiving Proposals for the Propagation of the Gospel Brotherly Unity amongst all Christians especially amongst the Ministers of Christ being in it self so excellent and comely at all times and considering the danger and sad consequences of our present Divisions so desirable and necessary at this time I conceive all Overtures and Counsels having a true tendency thereunto worthy the publike light and do therefore approve the publication of this ensuing discourse Joseph Caryl LONDON Printed for John Bellamy and are to be sold at his shop at the three golden Lions in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1652. A PREFACE To the ensuing Discourse Shewing I. How the means of Christian Peace both Civil and Ecclesiastical ought to be followed and may be found II. What the Lets of Reconciliation are and the causes of Divisions and how to be remedied Section I. BEing acquainted with the resolutions of some of our leading men eminent in the prevailing side to moderate matters and compose our differences Happy had this Church and State been if that aime had been carried all along from the beginning in the Counsels and endeavours of The occasion and scope of this letter those who have been intrusted with the management of affairs and if it be not now too late to quench this flame or if it can be hoped that in the midst of so great fears so many jealousies so different practises and so loud clamours and so sensible injuries mens spirits can be brought to mutual confidence and made susceptible of temperate thoughts towards one another I would advise all but chiefly such as have power in the Parliament in the City in the Army and most of all the General and the Lieutenant General on whom the eyes of most men are fixed to proceed after this manner and lead as in this way First let our aime be as in the sight of God who tryeth the Reines to purge our heart from a designe to serve the interests of one side mainly to crosse another For he that looks upon his What ought to be the â—ight aime of those that trea for peace Brother with the eye of a party hath put out the eye of a Christian A Christian doth not take notice of men after the flesh he looks upon the new creature in every one and he that doth not walk after this Rule there can be nothing but misery and destruction in his wayes for the way of peace and truth he hath not known Secondly then if we can cleare our aimes from partiality our Counsels may be free from prejudice and if this be we will not shunne the light but desire to shew that our works are wrought in God and will be ready to declare to all in publike the true Rules and Maximes by which our conscience is guided by which we intend to walk and by which we desire to be judged Hom they should manifest their aime by all in our proceedings but if we either have no such rules or are not willing to declare them we shunne the light we love darknesse and let us not deceive our selves there is no truth nor love to peace in us And what although hitherto perhaps we have not minded conscionably the equitable and charitable affections which the Spirit of Christ doth suggest yet now being put in minde thereof if henceforth the motions of his Spirit be not rejected but sincerely entertained openly professed and effectually followed who doth not know but that yet a happy composure of our differences may be effected Thirdly Declarations of the truth that is in us are good but however they are no more but words except then reall actions answer them and speak the truth of justice and peaceablenesse How they should prosecutâ— their aime in our proceedings there can be nothing but bitternesse in the end For nothing can prevent the crosse workings of mens spirits against us but that which is able to beget and settle a confidence in their minds towards us and to beget this confidence and allay these jealousies which cause mens spirits boyle up to a disturbance of those proceedings wherein we mean well I would suggest to our leading men these impartiall considerations 1. That they ought to lay to heart the causes which hinder others The parts of this discourse to confide in us to remove the same 2. That they ought to seek and finde out the persons which are most capable of receiving good impressions of us and from us that the same may be given them and by them propagated unto all 3 That they should make use of the proper meanes by which confidence is bred in honest mindes towards us that the same may bee set a working 4 That they should observe the method and manner of proceeding requisite in doing this that the attempt may bee effectuall and not miscarry Of these foure heads I shall suggest somewhat tending to the advancement of peace and truth as briefly as I can First concerning the causes hindering others to confide in us and begetting feares in them against us let me say this He that doth not confide in his neighbours doth hinder them The causes of mistrust and feare to confide in him and hee that doth feare others doth beget in them causes of feare against himselfe if then wee would have others to confide in us and not feare us wee must also confide in them and not feare them For if I cannot bring my spirit to trust my neighbour how can I expect that his spirit should bee brought to trust me and if I thinke that hee doth not trust me I will readily suspect him if I suspect him I will either arme my selfe to oppose him or weaken him lest hee oppose mee and if I give way to these thoughts I am at warre with him in my heart and the affection of Christian love and ingenuitie which onely can-beget confidence is lost between us love being lost the fruits of emulation envie and passion will bee found and break forth in our nature I finde the sequele of matters in our nature to lie thus Where I doe not love I cannot confide where I confide not I will finde cause to mistrust where I finde cause to mistrust I will fortifie my selfe against the same and if I fortifie my selfe against my neighbour I must expect that hee will doe the like against mee for what cause hath hee to trust mee more then I doe him therefore as long as I manifest no love nor trust but force onely there can bee no confidence expected from any towards mee The maine hinderance then of confidence and cause of
made in writing for a memoriall and rule of proceeding to bee faithfully observed Herein all should declare their willingnesse to be engaged towards each other as in the feare and presence of God and that the engagement may bee more effectually binding and not liable to doubts in time to come at the end of the day and of their conference they should attest and solemnize their mutuall engagement by the subscription of their hands unto an Act or instument which afterward should bee laid up in the Reposiorie where all their other Acts are to bee kept as the ground of their suture proceeding And I would advise that amongst other things to be mentioned in that Writing or Instrument they would oblige themselves expresly unto these clauses 1. That they shall not onely doe all things conscionably and sincerely between God and themselves but also that they shall deale openly and clearely one toward another without all mentall Reservations in all points of their Treatie 2. That they shall looke to nothing in all their consultations but to the prosecution of clear and undeniable duties of Christianitie without any respect to outward interests to their relations unto parties or to any humane concernments whatsoever 3. That none shall secretly divulge or openly publish any thing which in their Treatie shall be agreed upon as an Act neither by word of mouth or otherwise directly or indirectly to any without foreknowledge leave and full consent of all that are joyned in the Treatie 4. That nothing in the world shall retard or stop them from endeavouring to proceed constantly towards the Period of their Treatie which they shall have agreed upon to prosecute And for the better observation of these clauses I would advise the States-men themselves by whose authority they should bee called and appointed to meet not to desire to know any of the results of their Treatie before it bee brought to a full Period and they of themselves thinke it fit to impart the same unto them I have pregnant reasons for this which I need not here to mention It will bee absolutely most expedient that immediatly after the first meeting wherein the States-men should be with them to enter them upon their work they should wholly leave them unto themselves except onely to call upon them now and then from time to time to encourage them to proceed constantly without interruption And thus much for the preparative ingagements now I come 2. For the worke it self and the way to proceed therein to the work of the meeting to give advice concerning the matter the manner and the circumstances thereof to make it orderly within it self and without all prejudice effectuall towards others which will bee if the right way of communicating their results be taken and followed In these things I shall bee brief because the particular determination of all things of this nature doth belong properly to those that are appointed to meet yet because generalls may give without all prejudice some overtures to advance their negotiation I shall offer these following thoughts to their consideration First then I conceive that all their meetings to treat should begin and end with prayers and that by turnes one of each side should preside and lead their actions so that every time by course a new man should have the chaire Secondly he that doth preside or lead the action shall gather the results and put them to paper and after the Treatie they shall be registred in the booke of their Acts and at the end of every meeting subscribed by all Thirdly there shall bee two books kept one containing the Diurnall or brief Narrative of the daily proceedings of each Meeting another containing nothing else but the results of each treatie or the advices which shall be agreed upon to advance the accommodation of differences 4 To keepe these two bookes there shall be a peculiar Trunk or Chest or Box with two severall lockes fixed to the meeting place and every one of the one side shall have a key for the one locke and every one of the other side a key for the other lock so that none of either side alone shall bee able to open the Chest but any two of both sides shall have power to doe it and to make use of their Registers as they shall think good 5 The times of their meetings should bee constantly appointed once for all and inviolably observed because they are wholly to bee set apart to attend the worke without interruption 6 If at any time by reason of some invincible impediment as of sicknesse or some other unavoidable accident one of the number be absent the meeting shall not bee void yet the Acts thereof shall not be Registred till he that was absent hath seen them and approved of them 7 Nothing shall bee carried by the major part of voices what is not consented unto by all shall not bee any Act. 8 The matter of the Treatie shall not bee concerning doctrinall truths because it is supposed that there is no materiall difference therein between the parties but concerning practicall duties relating either to the constitution or to the government of the Churches or to the exercise of Religious worship in a private or publick way 9 The manner of their Treaty shall not proceed by way of debate and dispute to argue what is right or wrong in respect of the particular practises of parties but it shall proceed in the way of positive Declarations and Answers unto certaine Questions which shall bee proposed as cases of conscience to be resolved from the Word of God and the undeniable principles of Christianitie 10. He then that sitteth in the chaire shall aske of every one what matter he would have taken into consideration what shall be offered by every one shall be noted in a memoriall by it self then the question shall be in what order the things offered shall be thought upon and when that which is to be first in order shall be determined a question shall bee framed thereof as a case of conscience to be resolved by the word from which every one shall gather his Answer and bring it in against the next meeting in writing and when the writings are compared that wherein they all doe agree shall onely be taken as a result of their Treatie and that wherein they differ shall be left untouched except some proposall be made which doth take with all for the reconcilement of the difference 11. In bringing in their answers they shall avoid large discourses and set downe that which they shall deliver upon the point to be resolved in short Aphorismes and Propositions per thesim Antithesim and to facilitate the matter each side should contract their severall answers into one summe containing that in which they all doe agree that so at their meeting together the comparison may be made onely between two writings out of which the agreement is to be extracted as a common result upon the Question
not the will of him that commands me but mine owne for I walke not in the obedience of Faith but in the dictates of my phansie for now I leane to mine owne understanding and suffer the pride of my heart to bee my counsellour which being unwillling to be foiled in any undertaking doth make me quit the worke because I thinke I shall not have the credit of it But if for some other reasons I demurre upon the dutie and suspend mine action as perhaps because I see not I can gaine this or that benefit by it or because I thinke it not seasonable to appeare till matters of State bee so and so contrived that such and such a businesse may come in at such a time for such a designe c. although in matters meerely humane arbitrary and externall I doe not blame this prudentiall contrivance yet I say if any such consideration should by as my resolution towards the performance of that which in it self is a dutie and of a spirituall nature as I feare it doth with many then I walke no more by the grace of God in simplicitie but by the wisedome of men in the world then my aime is not to serve Christ but rather to make use of Christ and his kingdome and of my interest in the work of the Gospel to serve either mine own turne or the turnes of other earthly men out of it and if I doe so it is cleer that I doe the worke of the Lord deceitfully and the reward of an hypocrite will be given to me Upon these grounds I have laid aside all such hidden things of darknesse which I have seen sway with some in the works of this nature and therefore I am perswaded I have herein a good conscience towards God which doth give mee confidence to cast my selfe upon him hoping for a blessing upon these endeavours because I looke to nothing but the doing of his will therein Although then I may ingenuously confesse that I cannot rationally Motives disswading the publication of the ensuing Treatie foresee as the times now are and as most men stand affected to each other that these motions will bee entertained for they will sute no ends of parties but am rather apt to conceive that some who thinke themselves wise will laugh at mee and at this discourse that most will not relish the motions as being somewhat out of the common way that many will mistake my meaning misconstrue my aime and fall foul upon me perhaps for what they have misconstrued and mistaken And finally that few or none that seeme to bee Pillars will heartily joyne and help to advance either these or other impartiall wayes Motives inducing thereunto of peace I say although this may bee confessed yet I cannot forbeare to offer these thoughts unto you both that I may discharge my conscience towards God in the vow which I have made to prosecute Peace and Truth by walking in the light whatsoever some may or doe thinke of mee and also that they may stand not onely for mee as a witnesse that I have sought without partialitie the wayes as well of Truth as of Peace amongst Brethren but also rise up in judgement if you thinke good to publish them against those who for worldly ends and selfe will lest they should seeme to lose ground keep us at a distance and making our divisions irreconciliable weaken our hands in the Gospel Here I desire not to bee mistaken for I say not that any Why some do keep up our differences what guilt they draw upon themselves thereby doe purposely intend except they be the Emissaries of Jesuits of which too many are crept in amongst us in this dissolution of all order to make our divisions irreconciliable and to weaken our hands in the Gospel God forbid that any professing the Gospel should bee thought so maliciously partiall But this I I meane to say freely that all such as by the management or composure of these differences seeke any way rather to please themselves then in the spirit of meeknesse to please others to their edification I say of these that they keepe us at a distance that they widen our breaches that they make our divisions by little and little irreconciliable and so they weaken both their owne and their Brethrens hands in the Gospel and herein they not taking heed to themselves principally serve no bodies turne but Satans and become his instruments most effectually to hinder the power and prevalencie of the Truth For it is Satans maine interest above all others to set and keep the Ministers of What Satans interest is in the differencâ— of Ministers the Gospel at variance amongst themselves and disagreeing in the way of their testimonie For as long as they are kept so he is sure that the world the wickednesse and greatnesse thereof and the height of men will not fall before the throne of Jesus Christ by their meanes For if wee will look upon Satans kingdome and consider the wayes by which hee doth set up and settle the Mystery of iniquity in opposition to the kingdome of God among men wee shall perceive that one of them is this That hee being the Prince of this world doth establish the government thereof by meere power and deceiving Policie This government hee endeavoureth alwayes to put in the How Satan doth prosecute his interest hands of such men who intend to make use thereof onely for their owne ends which commonly are none other but greatnesse and glory for this cannot be denyed that as the way of self-deniall and humilitie is proper to Christ and his Kingdome So the practises of men in seeking themselves by power and policie are the works of Satans spirit and of their owne corruption in order to his designes And as the end of naturall men in the world is onely to maintaine and inlarge themselves according to their owne will by their owne wayes so the end of Satan in teaching them to manage their affaires rather by power and policie with an absolute command then by loving perswasions and convictions of the mind with the evidence and demonstration of the Truth is onely to oppose in the soules of men the kingdome of Christ which is the light of Truth and the life of righteousnesse and holinesse For by these Christ is the King and Conquerour of soules for by the light of Truth he ruleth in the understanding and by the power of righteousnesse and holinesse he ruleth in the will and affections of his subjects if then Satan can gaine the opportunitie to set his ministers a worke who by the outward meanes of power and policie for their owne temporall ends draw away mens minds from the attention unto and the apprehension of Truth and put out of their affections the frame of meeknesse love and humility wherein the life of righteousnesse and holinesse doth stand if I say he can get such instruments which hee can act either directly or
then some rules should bee thought upon debated and by common consent setled concerning three things First how needlesse disputes and multiplicitie of new controversies breaking forth in the Presse and Pulpit may be prevented Secondly how the injuriousnesse of censures and of proceeding which men of partiall dispositions and of high thoughts runne into may bee rectified when disputes are necessary And Thirdly how the secret mischief of suspicious whisperings and tale-bearing amongst Brethren may bee prevented and being discovered satisfactorily corrected And that some rules of righteousnesse may bee found in the Word to remedie these evills and may bee raised from the nature of Christian charitie equitie ingenuitie pietie discretion and prudencie I suppose none will deny who doth beleeve that the holy Scriptures with and by the spirit of God which is promised to the children of God are able to make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished unto every good word and worke Thus I have made out as briefly and as distinctly as this occasion seemeth to require the truth of the first and second assertion of this discourse namely that the Ministery of this kingdome is undeniably obliged in conscience to the mutuall profession of Brotherhood and that the termes of their unitie and forbearance are both in themselves full and satisfactory and may bee setled reciprocally amongst them in a plaine and easie way if the men that lead others were but willing to looke to God more then to men and to conscience more then to outward interests CHAP. XII The third Assertion Concerning the motions which should induce us to make profession of this unitie and forbearance Why these are requisite and what they are BUt now although these things are evidently thus demonstrable and by all that which hitherto hath been alledged it may be manifestly apparent that these who are the leaders of the flockes should not onely stand united and walk by one rule in that whereunto they have attained but also that their differences may and ought to bee composed in love by amiable meetings by orderly conferences and by the settlement of a necessary and lawfull forbearance of each other although I say all this is so yet wee see to the great dishonour of God the lamentable disadvantage of the truth and the extreame griefe of many godly soules that this hath not hitherto either beene done or effectually prosecuted and intended by thâ—se that are in the worke of the Ministery or if it hath been intended by some yet not so as it ought to have been that is upon the grounds which are proper unto their vocation What the causes of this neglect may bee wee shall not now particularly search into onely in generall wee may take notice that all such failings in dutie may proceed from two main causes either that men otherwise knowing and godly yet consider not the necessitie of this dutie in respect of the evills that follow upon the neglect thereof or that the excellencie commendablenesse and worth thereof is either not known or if not unknown yet not laid to heart Now then in this our present sad condition if any thing can be suggested which may be a helpe to remove these causes of our failing in this kind it may bee hoped that godly and conscionable men will bee more carefull of the performance and more fearefull of the neglect thereof then hitherto they have been Therefore it will not bee amisse but may bee of very great use to offer some motives and inducements to incline them without partialitie to these resolutions and this wee shall intend to doe if God permit CHAP. XIII Concerning the necessitie of Brotherly unitie in the Ministery IF then we should take into consideration the absolute necessitie of this dutie it will appeare that the present evills whereinto these Churches and the state of this kingdome are fallen and which threaten all with unavoydable ruine are mainely brought upon us through the neglect of that ministeriall unitie and correspondencie which is sutable unto Christianitie For whosoever in the feare of God shall lay to heart the wofull condition of the Churches of Christ in this land will perceive that amongst the manifold causes of our miserable breaches The cause ofâ— all our miseries and sinfull distractions the originall and consequently the greatest of all the rest is this That such as are called to bee the Ministers of the Gospel who by their owne confession are Brethren and fellow-labourers in the same imployment doe not maintaine those duties of Brotherly love fellowship and communion which by the nature of their work and by the appointment of their Lord and Master are made necessary for the manifestation of his glory and for their own mutuall edification For seeing by that which hath been hitherto shewed it must needs be acknowledged that they ought to stand together and looke upon each other as Brethren begotten of the same Father as fellow-souldiers in the same fight and warfare and as fellow-members in the same body of Christ Seeing I say this is confessed and cannot bee denied to bee so it will follow also undeniably that they ought in conscience to discharge the duties belonging to these relations which are not onely to professe a Brotherhood but to bee knit together in fervent love to have the same care one for another and joyntly to communicate in things belonging to the kingdome of Christ But that these duties notwithstanding all these relations are neither really thought upon nor at all prosecured to any purpose almost by any is no lesse undeniable and must needs although to our great shame be plainly and ingenuously confessed Seeing then the guilt of this their fault is so great and so apparent that no colour of excuse can bee pretended to extenuate it therefore the judgement is ripe for them and the punishment hath now in the sight of all the world most justly overtaken them For whereas they were lately in a capacitie to bee as happy within themselves and as profitable to the Kingdome of Christ abroad as any of all the Ministers on earth if they had continued in their unitie now they are like to bee more unsetled and more miserable within themselves and lesse respected by others and lesse usefull both at home and abroad towards the cause of Christ then any that are elsewhere in all the Churches this onely because they have suffered themselves in their profession to bee divided and have not regarded nor doe they yet regard the duties of their Christian Brotherhood The guilt of the Ministery so much as outward concernments For by this meanes they have corrupted the Covenant and are become partiall in the Law and caused many to stumble at the Law and therefore the Lord Mal. 2. 8 9. hath made them contemptible and caused all their adversaries to prevaile against them so that they have just cause to give glory unto him to lay their hands upon their mouths to be sensible of
their guiltinesse and to accept of the punishment of their transgressions For if the very vocation wherewith all the professors Ephe. 4. 1 2 3. of the Gospel are called unto God doth oblige them to keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace one with another farre more doth it oblige the Ministers to intend before others this great and fundamentall dutie in the vocation wherewith they are called And if all the members of the mysticall body of Christ are by Gods appointment fitly joyned together and ought to bee compacted in their stations to make the increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love by that which every joynt supplieth then it must needs also be granted that the chief joynts of these members are more especially appointed by God and obliged in conscience to bee united in their relations and compacted in the duties of their ministeriall imployments But how farre they are not onely distant from this conjunction but have even an aversion unto it I need not at all to mention the thing is cleere as the Sunne at noone day nor shall I search at whose dore the fault doth principally lie whether here or there for I know that every one will justifie his owne proceedings But this I shall freely say and I say it with grief of heart and therefore I hope without offence to either side that this is the great sinne of the Ministery and the misery of this Nation that at this time when a concurrence of affections and of endeavours is so absolutely necessary for the preservation of the truth in the very fundamentals thereof and The sinfull misery following upon this guilt when we all are called forth to fight in the same cause as it were for our life that I say at this time there is so much of animositie prevailing and so small a sense of Christianitie in common duties and of imminent dangers found in mens hearts that it is almost impossible to move any to compassionate one anothers calamities farre lesse to draw any to rise up and stand united for each others conservation that I say againe it is so with us at such a time this is the great sinne of the Ministery and the misery of this Nation For where is the man to bee found that doth truely mourne and not rejoyce rather at his opposites parties failings and miscarriages and yet wee know that charitie doth not rejoyce at iniquitie where is hee that doth 1 Cor. 13. 6. seeke to heale breaches upon common principles and without a particular interest and yet wee all know that charitie doth 1 Cor. 13. 5. not seeke it selfe and who is hee that doth blow a retrait from the battell and seeke for a cessation from needlesse and injurious controversies who is hee that doth endeavour a through and unprejudicate reconciliation and who dare owne a Treatie for mutuall condescension without a feare of being cast off or fallen upon by his Brethren and yet wee all know that wee are seriously exhorted even because the Lord is at hand to let our moderation bee known to all men and that wee are Phil. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 9. 22. Rom. 12. 18. expresly commanded to seeke peace and follow after it and that it iâ— our dutie to become all things unto every one for their edifications sake and if it bee possible and so farre as in us lyeth to have peace with all men What shall wee say then to these things shall wee still justifie our selves notwithstanding the manifest transgression of all these rules No surely for to cover or to excuse this fault would aggravate the guilt thereof and to discover or condemne it is the way to gaine pardon for it but to reforme and remove the causes thereof is that onely which in this case will make us happy for it will availe nothing to confesse our sinne except it bee forsaken Let us then looke upon it so as to resolve effectually upon a course of reformation Our sinne in a word is this breach of Christian unitie The chief causes thereof are carnall self-seeking disorderly controversies and the want of true brotherly inclinations notwithstanding the manifold bonds and the name of brotherhood taken up amongst us The remedies of these causes are that wee should learne self-deniall from Christ that we should not strive nor cry nor let our voice bee heard in the streets nor quench the smoaking flax nor Matth. 12. 19 20. breake the bruised reed but that wee should in truth and sincerity as in the presence of God consider one another to exhort Heb. 10. 24. and provoke each other unto love and to good workes Now to move us effectually hereunto next unto the expresse and known will of God which is before all others the greatest of inducements I know nothing that should bee more powerfull with us then the discovery of the dolefull and pernicious effects of our divisions The dolefull effects of our divisions as punishments of the sinne Upon all in genâ—rall and distempers For whilst wee are thus at a distance for points of outward order the inward substance of the profession is not regarded Whilst wee contend for circumstantials concerning the wayes of going about our worke the maine of the worke is lest undone and whilst for temporall jealousies about small matters Brethren uphold no spirituall correspondency Satan in matters of the greatest concernments hath gotten this advantage against us that the whole doctrine of truth is become doubtfull unto very many and the Gospel it self and in it the wayes of peace the chief object of comfort are made a matter of strife and contradiction unto all And if wee will observe particulars wee shall perceive that amongst other things by this way of strife and contradiction hee hath prevailed chiefly in this that the very being of an orderly Ministery is called in question and opposed most universally For to abolish the work and the office of the ordinary ministery is that about which under severall pretences all his agents on all hands are most earnestly imployed and by their meanes all the fundamentals of order and ordinances in the Church are already unsetled and all the grounds of authoritie in the State are almost quite overthrown For by and upon some principles of that which is called a new light it is free for every one to doe what seemeth good in his owne eyes without controule or giving account thereof unto any This licentious freedome doth leade them that follow it to the fulfilling of all their fleshly desires and doth confirme them in all manner of confusion wherein the spirit of railing of bitternesse of envy of contradiction and of uncharitablenesse in opposing and censuring others doth increase strife and hatred and multiplieth scandals infinitely all which bring forth the woes that lie upon us For to raile and calumniate without shame is become the very trade of many nor is there any way
amongst us and if there is any faithfulnesse and constancie to bee expected from those that professing Christianitie have entred into solemne protestations vowes and covenants to stand united according to the will of God for the advancement of a common-reformation and the settlement of our union therein if I say there bee any such thing as love to truth zeale for righteousnesse and faithfulnesse of Christian Covenants I may adjure such as pretend thereunto to shew themselves at this time therein for their owne and their Brethrens preservation that by the duties of Brotherly unitie in the holy profession they may bee found to keepe faith and a good conscience without blame For as it is not possible that the Faith once given to the Saints can bee maintained by any without a good conscience so the integritie of a good conscience cannot bee kept without observing the end of the holy Commandement which is the practise of love out of a pure heart Now this practise amongst Mininisters in their Ministeriall charges can bee none other but a conscionable concurrence of their spirits in that aime wherein the all relate unto Christ to strengthen one anothers hands in the works of his service For their unity and love to each other can have no truth but as it relates unto him nor can it relate otherwise unto him then by fulfilling his will in doing the works of his service and if this aime be lost in any let them pretend what they will their conscience is not sound their performance is not acceptable nor will their indeavours be for ever established hence it is that because many have left off to aime sincerely at this who either delight to stand wholly by themselves and give way to dividing principles and practises or thinke it more expedient to stand wholly associated but give way to the meanes of humane power to trust more thereunto then to the duties of Christian love and serviceablenesse therefore it is just with God to withdraw from such of both sides that walke in these wayes and from their undertakings the blessing of his presence So that by reason of the want of his strength to goe along and conduct to guide them all their hands are weakned nothing which is undertaken doth prosper the service of Christs house is not advanced the stewards thereof are either divided by themselves or scattered by others and generally they are as men without a heart afraid one of another and through these their breaches a whole deluge of damnable errors and a full current of all unrighteous wicked and scandalous practises hath overwhelmed and almost drowned the Churches so that the very floodgates of hell seeme to bee opened upon us and have covered us with the proud waves of all licenciousnesse And although it cannot bee denied but that it is just with God to suffer Satan thus farre to prevaile against all for the sinnes of all and to make this breach upon the Leaders for their A doubt answered concerning the office of the Ministery failing in the Ministery yet it is farre from mee to thinke as some doe that the promise of God is failed in this our age at if there were neither true Church nor Ministery any more amongst us or any where in this world but that the gates of hell having prevailed against the Church which Christ did once institute by his Apostles a new mission must be expected and a new foundation laid for the erecting of his kingdome I say God forbid that I should thinke so Yea let God bee true but every man a liar for I beleeve that heaven and earth shall passe Rom. 3. 4. Matth. 24. 3â— Matth. 16. 16 17 18 19. away but the word that is gone out of Christs mouth shall not passe away Now Christ upon a speciall occasion said distinctly unto his Disciples three things which are these 1 That his Church should bee built upon the rock of that truth whereof the Apostles made confession which was that Jesus was the Christ the sonne of the living God 2 That the gates of hell should not prevaile against that Church 3 And lastly That the keyes of the kingdome of heaven with authoritie to bind and loose on earth whatever should be bound and loosened in heaven shall be given to this Church These promises I beleeve to bee so sure that they shall never faile Therefore I must conclude that neither the foundation of the Church nor the Church which is builded thereupon nor the Ministeriall authoritie of the keyes given to that Church shall faile so long as this world doth last Forwhat although some doe not beleeve and are disobedient to the will of God shall their unbelief and disobedience make the faith and truth of God without effect God forbid yea all men are to bee found liars that God may bee found true for he hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all therefore in his sayings he shall be justifified and when he is judged overcome Wee must therefore acknowledge that by our unrighteousnesse the righteousnesse of God is to be commended and that although we of this Nation should utterly faile him and bee no more worthy to be counted his Church yet that he will never faile to doe what hee hath said unto the seed of Christ amongst men and never recall the word which hee hath spoken concerning his Church But Isa 59. 21. this we are bound to beleeve that wheresoever there is a societie of men beleeving with their heart and with their mouth making openly profession of this truth that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God there is a Church existent and wheresoever a Church is existent there the authoritie of the keyes is not wanting because Christ hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it I shall then confidently conclude from these premises two things first seeing there are societies of beleevers which are here existent and known to bee built upon that truth which is the foundation that therefore notwithstanding all these failings in particular duties whereof they are guiltie that yet Gods promise for the main will never be wanting to them as to his Church Secondly I may infer this also that notwithstanding all the advantages which Satan seemeth to have gotten both against the Ministery of this Church and against their administrations therein whereby hee doth blast them and the fruit of their labours yet wee may bee sure that he shall never prevaile so farre as to make void the priviledge of the Church which is to have a right to the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and thereby to the administration of all Christs Ordinances Now then although indeed it is very sad and lamentable that the Buildâ—rs themselves should be so far wanting to their dutie as by their divisions to give such an advantage unto Satan that hee should bee able visibly to pull down more then they are able to build up yet
we know that all things even these same and such like failings will worke together for the best towards The comfort of beleevers against these evils Psal 76. 10. those that love God and that all the advantages which Satan hath gotten against the kingdome of Christ will tend together to Gods greater glory and Satans owne overthrow at last For as the wrath of man shall surely praise the Lord so the plots of Satan and all his prevailing upon the infirmities of his Saints when he shall have mercy upon Zion will redound exceedingly to the increase of his glory by the manifestation of the riches of his grace and of the stabilitie of his purposes in setting up the kingdome of Jesus Christ through a finall and totall destruction of all the enemies thereof Seeing then I have cause to hope for such an issue of this warfare I shall not feare that the discovery of this failing in the Ministery will bee taken as a reproach to discredit them towards others in their function which I acknowledge in its own way and degree to be of God not of man but rather as an admonition of love to show to those that are conscionable the necessity of laying their owne condition to heart and of seeking the remedy thereof in that way wherein it may bee found And that I may not bee wanting The necessitie of unitie further pressed unto this designe I shall adde one thing more for the demonstration of the necessitie of this dutie of brotherly unitie which is so much neglected amongst us that afterwards I may come to speake more fully of the usefulnesse and excellency thereof In the profession of Christianitie the Apostle saith that neither Gal. 6. 15 16. circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature And as many as walke by this rule Peace saith hee will bee upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Here then wee see that the fruits of Peace and of mercy are Gods blessings upon the life of the new Creature and where these fruits are not at all apparent but on the contrary a spirit of strife of bitternesse of hatred and of mercilesse affection doth prevaile there wee needs must say that the old creature is still alive because the Iam. 3. 14 15 16 17 18. wisedome which is earthly sensuall and devillish which is the old mans rule brings forth such effects Now it is the proper worke of the true Ministers of the Gospel to perswade all men to live the life of the new Creature and to mortifie the members Col. 3. 5. 8. of the old man which are upon the earth whereof these are a part But if through the spirit of division and variance the Ministers themselves are intangled in these passions and that even one against another so that they doe not shew forth all meeknesse with all long-suffering and forbearance wherein they ought to receive each other to the glory of God as Christ received us how can they performe this worke how can they perswade others to walke by a rule which they mind not and wherein they themselves are not exercised It is cleer then that to doe the proper worke of their Ministery it is necessary for them to intend the dutie of brotherly love and unitie Moreover it is said here that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision doth availe any thing in Christ Jesus and if this is so then the division and distraction which is amongst us for things of such a kind is sinfull and necessary to bee left off for I am sure that circumcision to the Jewes and uncircumcision to the Gentile was a matter of greater concernment then any thing about which wee at this time are divided And if that ought not to have made a breach between them farre lesse these things amongst us Now that Gal. 5. 6. which by the new Creature is available in Christ Jesus is faith onely which worketh by love If then the Ministers of the Gospel are appointed by God to beget faith and love in their hearers that is to perswade the unbeleevers thereunto and to build up and confirme and increase the beleevers therein by the testimony of Jesus and by their unitie and love amongst themselves how shall they bee able to doe this except they bee first agreed to hold forth the same testimony and except there be some amiable concurrence amongst them in the workes of their Ministery Therefore as faith and love are inseparably necessary to make a true Christian so the testimony of Jesus and the spirit of unitie are inseparably requisite for the worke of the Ministery For as there is an absolute necessitie lying upon the Ministery to beare witnesse unto the truth towards the manifestation thereof for the saving of their own soules So they are also no lesse necessitated to maintain the profession of their unitie for the edification of their hearers For without this profession that manifestation will never in reason be found a truth fit to convict the world which otherwise it may be because as it is just that when witnesses doe not agree their testimony should not be received so it is equitable that when they doe agree their testimony should not be rejected And if by this onely default they make their testimony without effect it is evident that to establish the truth and not to discredit it to uphold the Ministery and not to make it contemptible to buildup the Churches and not to ruine them and to confirme the faith of the Professors and not to stagger them the profession and practise of Brotherly unitie amongst the Ministers of the Gospel is absolutely necessary For all may see that are not blind and senselesse that originally nothing but the neglect of this dutie hath deprived us of all our hopes and blessings and brought us under the yoake of all these miseries Upon all which this consequence doth manifestly follow that the onely way to preserve the remnant which is left entire to restore that which is not utterly decaied in the Church and to helpe this distracted State unto some settlement if there be any possibility of attaining it is this That the Ministers of the Gospel should set themselves to concurre and correspond together that they may hold forth unto the world in the testimony of Jesus Christ the lovelinesse the peaceablenesse the meeknesse and the unitie of his spirit to the end that both they and their hearers may follow therein his footsteps as hee is gone before us to leave us an example For this is a path of the new and the living way which hee hath consecrated for us and out of this way no man can come unto the Father it is therefore absolutely necessary that such as will enter into the holiest become followers of God as deare children and walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and made himselfe as one of us even our Brother to gaine us unto God CHAP. XIV
they may lay the thing to heart and weigh it consideratly that God may perswade their affections to the practise thereof The excellencies of brotherly unitie are set forth in the 133. Psal where first by way of preface and proposition the holy Ghost doth call upon us and invites us to contemplate and observe the same with admiration in the twofold propertie thereof viz. the goodnesse and the pleasantnesse which is in it Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unitie Vers 1. Then secondly by way of proof and demonstration he doth shew wherein that goodnesse and pleasantnesse doth consist and whence it doth proceed The goodnesse and pleasantnesse of brotherly unitie doth consist in this that it doth bring with it to those that maintain it all manner of blessings in great plentie The blessings are both spirituall and bodily the first in the Church the second in the Common-wealth The spirituall blessings bestowed in the Church are the graces of the holy anointing it is like the oyntment whose excellencies are 1. in their worth the precious oyntment 2. in their use and application which is to consecrate and make men Priests unto God by the vertues conferred upon their principall faculties upon the head the beard Aarons beard 3. in their abundance and fruitfull proceeding from the head to all the inferiour parts it ran down upon the beard went down upon the skirts of his garment Vers 2. The bodily blessings bestowed in the Common-wealth are the fruits of the earth in the highest parts thereof both farre from the Church and neer unto the same As the dew of Hermon a hill and land farre from Jerusalem neer Jordan and the dew that descendeth upon the mountaines of Zion Vers 3. All this goodnesse and pleasantnesse doth accompany brotherly unitie because the Lord hath commanded the blessing to bee there viz. where unitie is and the blessing which he hath commanded is even life for evermore Vers 3. and consequently all the meanes of life and if of life eternall then of temporall also for wee have the promise that if wee seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse all other things shall bee added unto us Matth. 6. 33. Now from all this which is the cleer doctrine of the holy Ghost I shall make this inference onely that if these promises are made to brotherly unitie by reason of the blessing of God upon those that maintain it in Church and Common-wealth then we may denounce the contrary threatnings unto those that maintain it not for the wrath of God is upon those that are contentious Rom. 2. 8 9. and obey not the truth Hitherto of unitie The ground of it is love as may bee gathered from 1 Cor. 12. 25. where the same care of members one for another which is the effect of their love is the cause why there is no rent in the body and consequently why unitie is preserved For where that loving care is not unitie is not but a rent will bee as wee may daily perceive in our dolefull estate Therefore all the excellencies that belong to brotherly unitie are first and originally to be attributed unto charity But then there are yet other excellencies which are more immediatly attributed unto it by the holy Ghost in 1 Cor. 13. where the Apostle having in the foregoing Chapter from the beginning reckoned up the spirituall gifts which are given to the Saints in the Church to profit withall in the unitie of the body as is cleer from Vers 7. compared with Vers 12 13. of Chap. 12. he commeth in the conclusion of that Chapter to exhort the Saints to covet earnestly the best gifts and to encourage them unto this dutie he promiseth to shew them the way which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most excellent Which is that which immediatly in the following 13th Chapter he begins to describe From whence this inference doth offer it selfe that as the chief and most excellent meanes to attaine to all spirituall gifts is the practise and exercise of love so the neglect of that dutie is the chief cause of the decay and losse of all spirituall gifts Now the Apostle in the description of this way doth shew a Threefold excellencie and usefulnesse of love The first is that without it no spirituall talents or good workes are profitable to the Church or to our owne salvation Vers 1 2 3. The second is that in it and by it all vertues tending to make a man perfect are wrought in us Vers 4 5 6 7. The third is that above all other graces it is the onely durable and lasting unto eternitie Vers 8 9 10 11 12. Which doctrine being referred to the foregoing proposition in the last verse of Chap. 12. will produce this argument or demonstration concerning the excellencie of love That vertue without which no gifts nor good workes are usefull unto any and by which all vertues are wrought in us and which alone lasteth unto eternitie is the most excellent way to spirituall gifts But so it is that charitie is that vertue Ergo it is of all others the most excellent way to spirituall gifts The Minor or the Assumption of this argument is made good concerning charitie in the three severall parts thereof forementioned First then that without it no spirituall talents and outward good workes are usefull the Apostle doth make out in many particulars For he first mentioned the gift of utterance suppose a man could speake with the tongues of men and Angels yet if hee want charitie he is to his auditory but as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymbale Vers 1. Afterwards the gifts of prophesie of understanding all mysteries of all knowledge of all faith to doe miracles yet if there be no charitie he declareth that all this is of no use and vertue neither to the Church nor to him that hath it Ver. 2. Then concerning good workes he supposeth the largest and most compassionate relief of the poore and the greatest constancy in martyrdome for the truth even that a man should give his body to bee burnt yet if there be no charity all these workes will availe him nothing Vers 3. Charitie then is more excellent then these gifts and is to bee counted the life and as it were the soule of them all Secondly that by charitie all vertues are wrought in us the Apostle doth in like manner declare in many particulars For the vertues which make us perfect for our behaviour towards persons in actions and about things they all proceed from charitie For our behaviour towards persons if others bee crosse and froward it teacheth long-suffering If they bee good and vertuous it teacheth kindnesse if they are in glory and prosperity it doth not envie their condition if wee in respect of our selves find some excellencies or eminencies in our own condition which others have not it doth not suffer us to vaunt thereof towards others nor to be puffed up thereby within
perfection of spirituall unitie which may bee cleerly gathered from John 17. 21 22 23. compared with Ephes 4. 12 13 14 15 16. And if this bee the chiefe end of their Ministery then the maine neglect of the meanes by which this end may bee obtained and without which it cannot bee prosecuted must needs bee their greatest guilt whence it will cleerly follow that to maintain no communion in spirituall things one with another is one of their greatest faults because most directly crosse to the end of their administration So theâ— if to maintaine spirituall communion is a dutie in this respect fundamentall and necessary then it followeth that the engagements unto a concurrence and the lawfull wayes of spirituall correspondency are also fundamentall and necessary to the work of the Ministery and must bee entertained because without these the dutie of holy Communion cannot bee maintained nor the unities of the Church brought to any visible perfection but rather visibly dissolved Thus then upon this consideration it is an undeniable Scripturall truth That for the Ministers of the Gospel in the duties of their Ministeriall charge nothing is more conscionable nothing more commendable nothing more profitable and nothing more sutable to the glory of God and the perfecting of the Saints then that they should maintaine a brotherly communion and correspondency one with another and such as neglect it walke not worthy of the calling wherewith they are called in the common profession of Christianitie Sect IV. Of the practise of those that are set before us as infallible examples in the Ministery ALthough the mediatory actions of Jesus Christ in the flesh as hee is our Saviour are not imitable nor were they performed to bee imitated by any for hee alone is the onely Mediatour between God and man yet his relations unto us as Heb. 2. 11. our brother sanctifying us in our flesh and the wayes of his converse amongst men were such that in all cases of dutie wherein wee are to come to God or to behave our selves dutifully one towards another in respect of God he hath left us either an example which wee are bound to imitate or a precept which wee ought to observe and which hee himselfe did practise For in this hee is the Captaine of our salvation because hee went before us in all things and wee are bound to follow not onely him before all others but also none further then they are found to bee his followers 1 Cor. 11. 1. and for this cause wee see that the Apostles as in all other things so chiefly in these duties of love unitie forbearance and condescension towards the weake doe alledge his practise as the strongest argument that can bee used to oblige us thereunto Thus 1 John 3. 16. Hee laid downe his life for us and wee ought to lay downe our lives for the Brethren Ephes 5. 1 2. Bee yee followers of God as deer children and walke in love as Christ also hath loved us Coloss 3. 13. Even as Christ forgave you so also doe yee Gal. 6. 2. Beare yee one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ 1 Pet. 4. 1. Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arme your selves likewise with the same mind And the Apostle Phil. 2. Having used many strong inducements to perswade us to love and unitie Vers 1 2. and to disswade us from strife and division vers 3. then vers 4 hee exhorts us to mutuall care of one another whereunto as an argument is brought in Christs example as the chiefest of all other motives Vers 5 6 7 8. Let this mind bee in you which was in Christ Jesus c. and Christ saith to his Father John 17. 22. The glory which thâ—u gavest me I have given them that they may bâ—e one even as we are one By glory I understand here grace as 1 Pet. 5. 1. partaker of the glory that shall bee revealed As concerning Christs practise in his Ministery to avoid breaches and contentions between him and others it is set forth by the holy Ghost in Isa 42. 2 3. and Matth. 12. 19 20. thus Hee shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man beare his voyce in the streets a bruised reed shall hee not breake and the smoaking flâ—x shall hee not quench till hee send forth judgement unto victory And concerning his way to bring us to unitie with himselfe and with God the Apostle doth set it forth as an example to bee imitated Rom. 15. Vers 2 3. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himselfe c. which is further applied to our practise vers 5 6 7. The God of patience and consolation grant you that ye be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus that you may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ wherefore receive yee one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God And then explained in shewing what the work of Christs Ministery was Vers 8 9. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God to confirme the promises made unto the Fathers and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy c. Where wee may cleerly understand that by Christs Ministeriall behaviour which was without strife free from all clamours and disputes and which did tend to the uniting of all both Jewes and Gentiles both circumcised and uncircumcised unto God wee are taught to bee without partialitie to endeavour the communication of Gods glory unto all and obliged in our Ministery not to stand and walke by our selves to satisfie our owne desires and enjoy our rights and priviledges which wee pretend unto for private content but rather to please others to their edification although wee should suffer reproaches for their sake For thus Christ was reproached by the Pharisees who were much in love with their owne holinesse for conversing and eating with Publicans and sinners Matth. 9. Vers 10 11 12. Chap. 11. 19. and upon this ground of pleasing others and receiving all that came in his way to the glory of God Christ conversed did eat and drinke with the Samaritanes with whom other Jewes had no dealings John 4. 9. till vers 43. Nor was it without a mystery that at his death hee was crucified between two Malefactors that the Scripture might bee fulfilled which saith and hee was numbred with the transgressors Marke 15. 27 28. For by God and by himselfe justly in respect of the imputation of our sinnes to him and by sinners unjustly hee was numbred in his life and in his death one of them for their good to save them This example of Christ in his Ministery made the Apostle Paul become all things unto all men that hee might gaine some and partake of the Gospel with every one as hee himselfe doth set forth his owne practise to exhort us
to follow it 1 Cor. 9. vers 19. till 24. Now if Christ and the Apostles did thus behave themselves with indifferencie and apply themselves without respect of persons by their Ministery unto all that were any way capable of the outward meanes of edification though great sinners otherwise how can the practise of a Separation or of a Semiseparation be warranted and that even from those who in respect of their profession cannot bee denied to bee our brethren Should wee dare to put upon matters that are meerly circumstantiall and upon things no where expresly enjoyned but rather taken up by our selves more weight then upon all these fundamentall duties of Christianitie and upon the undeniable practise of Christ and his Apostles in the worke of their Ministery If wee doe make our selves and our owne wayes the measure of all perfection surely wee become perfect Idols to and Idolaters of our selves in Gods worship For if in the outward meanes of worshipping and drawing neer to God in publick though his owne ordinances bee observed as hee hath appointed them as to the outward man for to the inward fellowship hee himselfe alone doth admit whomsoever hee pleaseth yet if then wee love to set our selves at a distance from others or reject others from being partakers with us of the ordinances either because wee count them in holinesse inferiour to us or because wee are not satisfied concerning their sinceritie or because they come not up to joyne in opinion with us concerning all the circumstantials of our way If I say for these or such like causes wee stand aloof in the common profession and think that God is no where to be found but in our way and societie doe wee not Idolize our selves doe wee not make our selves the onely rule of all perfection and say in our hearts Stand thou by thy selfe come not neer for I am holyer then thou And what Isa 65. 5. can bee imagined more opposit to the love humilitie and condescension of Christ and his Apostles in the way of their Ministery Let us therefore take heed to this snare let us count nothing perfect but that which upon the grounds of the common profession is conformable to the example of Christ and his Apostles who came into the world to save and draw sinners unto God not by a distance but by a condescension unto them in their weaknesse As for the communion and correspondencie which the primitive Ministers maintained one with another in the Ministeriall workes wee shall find that it did tend to these foure ends First to advance the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith and profession of Christianitie Secondly to build up and confirme those that had received the truth of the Gospel that they might be setled therein Thirdly to preserve those that were setled from the danger of seducers Fourthly and lastly to strengthen themselves in the workes of their employment towards the Churches All which aimes are still necessary to bee followed and therefore the meanes which are serviceable thereunto and which they then used must not now bee neglected if they can bee set afoote First wee find then that for the propagation of the Gospel amongst the Gentiles some went forth to preach unto them the name of Christ and tooke nothing of them To receive such and bring them forward on their journey after a Godly sort was a worke of holy Communion commended in Gajus by the Apostle John as being a dutie which all ought to intend and the ground why all ought to intend it is that all may be fellow-helpers to the truth This practise then is still to 3 John 6. 7 8. bee followed by all that are called to the Ministery so long as the propagation of the truth shall be necessary Secondly for the confirmation and edification of converts in the faith by the care of neighbour Ministers corresponding with those that did convert them wee have an example in Acts 8. 14. where the Ministers of the Church at Jerusalem sent to Samaria two of their number to confirme the beleevers and build them up in the faith in like manner when they heard that some were turned unto the Lord in Antioch they sent Barnabas and he went to the same end and purpose Acts 11. 20 21 22 23. Thirdly for the preservation of the truth from the danger of Seducers and the decision of doubts in doctrine and practise cast in amongst the professours to trouble them wee have an example of Brotherly Communion and Correspondency in Acts 15. vers 1. till 30. where one Church doth crave and another doth contribute assistance counsell and authoritie in a Synodicall way towards the decision and settlement of the difference which broke forth amongst them Fourthly the example wherein Ministers amongst themselves did strengthen one another in the worke of their employment towards the Churches is that of the Apostles of the Jewes and Gentiles who having communicated together concerning the doctrine which they preached Gal. 2. vers 2. and made known to one another their practise Verse 3 4 5 6. to gaine mutuall approbation and confirmation therein Verse 6. 7 8. they did enter into a contract of followship Vers 9. and an obligation of Communion and communication of good things between their Churches Vers 9 10. Nor was it found lawfull or answerable to the truth of the Gospel that upon humane considerations or partiall respects that Communion should be broken Vers 11. till the end From all which againe doth follow that which formerly hath beene concluded that nothing is more conscionable nothing more commendable nothing more profitable and nothing more sutable to the glory of God and the perfecting of the Saints in the worke of the Ministery then that the Ministers of the Gospel should maintaine a Brotherly Communion and correspondency one with another and that such as neglect this dutie walke not worthy of the calling wherewith they are called in imitation of Christ and his Apostles Sect. V. Concerning that which concernes the Office of the Ministery in it self IF wee reflect upon the Ministeriall office in it selfe and consider that whereunto it hath a speciall reference wee shall find that all Ministers that are faithfull to their charge are bound at all times to have respect unto foure things The first is their relation unto Christ as they are under him who is the head of the Church The second is their relation to the Church as therein they are Officers The third is their relation to the workes of their charge in the Office The fourth is their relation to their fellow-labourers in these workes None of these respects must be wanting because without their subordination unto Christ they are no Ministers nor are they otherwise in Christ but as they are members of his Church nor can they bee counted members without a work to performe because the use of every member is to be an Organ of the soul in the body now the soul of this body is
the spirit of Christ and every true beleever is a member Organicall in his own place that is appointed to some usefull worke Nor is any member alone but it is put together with the rest to make up the whole by mutuall conjunction and cooperation therefore none doth worke as it is alone but as it standeth united with its fellow-labourers in every worke And as none of these respects can bee wanting in the office of the Ministery so none besides these are needfull for if a member doth duely depend upon his head and standeth in its right place in the body and hath a lively facultie to doe its owne worke and is no wayes disjoynted but fitly compacted and linked to the other members in doing its work nothing can bee further desired or wished for in it These are then the essentiall and proper relations under which a Minister as an Officer of the Church is to bee considered Now if it bee found that in the profession of truth and holinesse nothing doth make him so fit for his office in all these relations as to maintaine the duties of brotherly love unitie communion and correspondencie and that without the studie of these hee cannot stand aright in any of those relations then I suppose that these duties will without contradiction bee acknowledged to bee the most commendable and usefull that hee can apply himselfe unto and that without the observance of the same hee cannot bee said to walke worthy of the vocation wherewith hee is called Let us therefore take these relations into a more distinct consideration and see how therein by these duties a Minister is fitted for his office First then a Minister by his Office is subordinate unto Christ as a Servant as a Disciple and as a friend of his and to make these relations evident to the world and sure to himself is to make his calling and election sure which is effected when both others are made to see and hee himself doth assuredly of himselfe know that what hee doth in his charge is done to serve Christ as it becommeth his Disciple and friend But except his behaviour in all the workes of his charge bee sutable to that love whereby Christ his master did love us and thereby did unite himself unto us these relations will not bee evidenced For to be a faithfull servant of Christ he must make two things appeare First that hee serves none but him alone as the Apostle doth Gal. 1. 10. and as Christ requires of all to bee done when hee tells us that none can serve two masters Matth. 6. 24. And secondly that hee applies himselfe to the same worke which Christ did For hee commands all his servants to follow him Iohn 12. 26. namely in that service which hee performed which was to doe the will and manifest the love of his Father unto us therefore the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 5. in order to this doth professe not to preach himselfe but Christ Jesus the Lord and himselfe a servant to the Corinthians for Iesus sake This was to be a servant of the love of Jesus to us to invite all to bee reconciled to God for his sake 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. 21. and 6. 1. As the imployment is nothing else but a service of love Gal. 5. 13. that is to expresse the love and fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. so the infallible character of a disciple by 1 Cor. 16. 14. which hee is to bee distinguished in the world from all others is mutuall love and unitie as is cleer by Iohn 13. 35. and herein as well as in holding forth the word they are to approve themselves to bee the light of the world Matth. 5. 14. which will appeare by comparing these two places Phil. 2. 14 15 16. with 1 John 2. 9 10 11. The whole relation then of being a true servant and Disciple is evidenced by nothing more then by this worke of love and mutuall unitie Lastly also it is evident that none can claime the title of being Christs friend but by the performance of this dutie For Christ hath intailed the right to this dignitie wholly upon this condition which is cleerly expressed Iohn 15. 12 13 14 15 16 17. This is my commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you c. And when in vers 15. and 16. hee hath shewed how much by his friendship to them hee hath obliged them already and what further obligations they should receive from his Father hee concludes vers 17. thus These things I command you that you love one another So that hee puts all the relations which wee have to him of servants of disciples and of friends upon the expression of our love to each other from whence wee must forcibly conclude that if there bee no such expression of love but rather of disaffection and of hatred to one another in our Ministery that wee make it apparent unto the world and to our owne consciences when they awake it will bee evident that wee are none of his servants nor his disciples nor his friends but rather the servant disciples and friends of his enemy the Prince of wickednesse in heavenly Ephes 6. 12. matters Therefore let no man bee deceived with faire pretences of holinesse and with large pleas and discourses about speciall rights the Apostle tells us that if wee have bitter envy and strife in our hearts one against another and if wee glory therein wee Iam. 3. 14 15 16. lie against the truth For the wisedome by which men are led in such cases descendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall and devillish Secondly in relation to the Church as it is a house of God the Ministers therein are builders 1 Cor. 3. 10 11 12. as it is the houshold of faith they are stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 14. 1 2. and as it is a flock they are shepheards thereof 1 Pet. 5. 2. Now if in building the same house there bee no concurrence and correspondency between the builders thereof how will it bee fitly framed together as it ought to bee Ephes 20. 21. Can builders that have no spirituall communion but are rather disunited in their wayes frame fitly one and the same house for Gods spirit to dwell in And if in a great houshold where one steward cannot oversee all severall stewards being appointed to do all by one and the same rule of administration yet they agree not amongst themselves but walke different wayes and crosse each other will not this distraction disorder the affaires of the houshold will not this reflect upon their Lord and Master as if he could not govern his family in peace And if severall shepheards belonging to a great flock to feed it jointly doe every one take a part thereof for himself and feed it